Attention economy: A study on digital content consumption patterns in university students

Abstract

In the context of a digital economy characterized by an excess of information, attention constitutes a scarce and highly contested resource. This study examines digital content consumption patterns among university students, aiming to describe the profile of the average consumer and their smartphone usage habits. Using a descriptive quantitative methodology complemented by inferential tests (ANOVA and chi-square), an ad hoc questionnaire inspired by Fernández-Rovira’s (2022) instrument was administered to 381 students from the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Digital Technologies at UNICACH. The results reveal significant gender differences in the categories of applications used and in the time spent on social media, as well as a general increase in the use of messaging and social platforms during weekends. A mismatch was identified between the most valued platforms (TikTok) and the most frequently used ones (Facebook). Although leisure content predominates, there is also notable interest in informational and educational topics, suggesting a progressive convergence between entertainment and learning. This diversity of uses invites a rethinking of the smartphone’s role as a hybrid space for expression, learning, identity construction, and positioning of interests, where interactivity and algorithmic personalization turn attention and time into the currency of digital interaction.