Sahaj Datta | The Chronicle
At Mason High School (MHS), distractions are easy to spot. When finals week hits, we want to scroll through Instagram Reels. When quarter grades are about to go in, we are busy picking out our Homecoming dresses. As society modernizes itself and attention spans shorten, it is becoming increasingly noticeable that society is easily distracted.
And, therefore, easily controlled.
Recently, the Trump administration announced the Patriot Games, a competition involving high school athletes from across the nation, to celebrate the United States 250th anniversary. Online, the proposed event has been repeatedly compared to The Hunger Games, the dystopian franchise that includes timeless commentary on turbulent political landscapes and crude government tactics, such as distraction from oppression. Many of those opposed to the Patriot Games have repeatedly pointed out the similarities between the two through their spectacle and over-the-top festivities, along with the ignorance of wealth inequalities amidst a polarized nation.
This kind of political strategy has been documented much earlier than the recent era. As early as ancient Rome, rulers understood that managing public attention was a powerful political tool. Roman leaders regularly provided free grain and organized elaborate public entertainment such as “gladiator games” and chariot races to maintain social order and keep their citizens occupied, even as corruption and inequality persisted beneath the surface. Similarly, the Soviet Union relied on grand displays of power and achievement through its military parades and space exploration milestones to shape public attention, even while many citizens faced shortages, repression and economic stagnation.
The question now becomes why this kind of distraction is currently under constant debate when it has been a tried and tested formula for such a long time. The modern media environment has made it easier for news to circulate and misinformation to spread, creating a constant flood of attention-grabbing stories and “distractions.” This also makes it easier, whether deliberately or not, for serious issues to be buried beneath louder ones.
Along with the media, our nation’s polarization is at an all-time high. Still, polarization only makes distraction more effective and more noticeable. When the public is divided into factions, leaders can bring focus to identity-based or moral issues, reducing scrutiny of shared societal issues such as class divide, wealth, healthcare and violence.
This is not to say that every large event is inherently manipulative. School spirit, national pride and shared experiences can be meaningful and unifying. The issue arises when spectacle replaces the substance of thought and inquisitiveness, when we are encouraged to cheer without questioning what we are cheering for. When celebrations take away focus from serious problems that need to be immediately addressed, distraction becomes dangerous. It dulls our ability to ask uncomfortable questions, recognize patterns and hold those in power accountable.
At MHS and, more broadly, in our generation,, attention has turned into a form of currency. Algorithms dictate what we see and trends dictate what we care about. When we grow accustomed to this constant stimulation, this constant distraction, serious issues begin to lose their impact, feel boring and become easier to ignore. That apathy is not accidental; we have createdthe environment in which it thrives.
When constant spectacle becomes normal, indifference follows. We stop expecting transparency, stop demanding explanations and stop believing our attention has worth in the first place. Distraction only works until the audience is willing to turn away from it. Until we challenge this habit and learn to question beyond headlines and celebration, cycles of spectacle and control will continue, unnoticed but effective. And when our real problems catch up, it may already be too late.
