All the attention, all the time: How first-year students experience writing in a horizontal digital ecosystem

Abstract

This article examines how first-year composition students navigate digital attention ecosystems while writing. It presents findings from a qualitative focus group study in which undergraduate students participated in writing and reflection activities. The findings indicate that students are immersed in a “horizontal attention ecosystem,” in which all online tasks, communications, and media feel equally worthy of their attention. Although students attempt to manage their physical-digital writing environments strategically, the intrusive nature of current technology hinders their ability to focus, especially on academic writing assignments. When completing academic assignments, students report relying on self-restrictive measures and approaching writing as a solitary act, contrasting with writing studies’ understanding of writing as a social act. This article suggests pedagogical approaches that privilege embodied writing strategies and encourage writing-oriented social interactions between students.