We're drowning in content, but starving for connection.

"I feel it-the strain, the fractured attention. The constant tug to check, scroll, click. Everything we want is a tap away. Yet when we chase it all, something essential slips through our fingers. I see it clearly in my own world of conferences and events. These are spaces meant for connection, yet people often leave feeling overwhelmed and oddly under-connected."

"True participation is more than clicking, liking, or even showing up. It means contributing, influencing, shaping. And it can be the difference between relevance and irrelevance for a brand. Over the years, I've sat through countless keynotes and meetings where success was measured in metrics that looked good on paper but meant little to those in the room. Still, many businesses chase the easy numbers: impressions, clicks, headcount. These are visible, measurable, and falsely reassuring."

Digital distraction and fractured attention undermine meaningful presence. Many conferences, events, and workplaces produce overwhelming experiences where attendees leave feeling under-connected. Gallup finds only 21% of employees are fully engaged, illustrating a broader deficit of true participation. Superficial metrics—impressions, clicks, headcount—measure activity but often lack meaning. True participation requires contributing, influencing, and shaping outcomes, not mere visibility. Business leaders compete not just with rival brands but with every inbox, feed, and interruption vying for attention. The opportunity lies in designing physical and digital environments that demand active contribution and foster deeper, consequential engagement.

Read at Fast Company