Guest Editorial: What do we pay attention to? Digital innovations in the competition for attention

There are only 24 hours a day, and our capacity for attention is limited. Yet, in our digital world, everything and everyone competes for this attention, using a wide range of technical and psychological strategies. This "hypercompetition" for attention was chosen as the theme for the annual conference of the Swiss Association of Communication and Media Research, held in April 2023. The conference, titled "What Do We Pay Attention To? Digital Innovations in the Competition for Attention," was hosted by the Institute of Communication and Marketing at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences. We want to draw your attention to four contributions presented at the conference. The four articles in this Thematic Section contribute to understanding the competition for attention from distinct and varied perspectives. Hence, we hope you will devote some of your precious attention to exploring these enlightening articles.