The digital landscape is rich in opportunities. It could be said that the world is in the palm of our hand: we are "just a click away" from updated and interesting content, we can have a global audience. At the same time, the proximity of news and entertainment causes distractions and pushes to instant gratification, with its possible consequences of addiction.

At this point, it would be unreasonable to ignore the problems arising from the inappropriate use of digital media. Most of them already existed in some analog media: excessive "consumption", proliferation of content that harms human dignity, exploitation of sensationalism, etc.

The assault on attention began to turn into a siege precisely 20 years ago, on February 4, 2004, with the birth of Facebook at Harvard University, which opened the era of social networks. This was the beginning of what we could call the second Internet revolution, also marked by another transformative event with a huge ripple effect: the appearance of the iPhone in June 2007, which gave way to the smartphones that accompany us at all times.

Large multinational companies, with the economic size of entire countries, want us to stay longer and longer in the ubiquitous spaces they have created. They are the "merchants of attention", as Tim Wu calls them in his well-known essay. To cite just one example, Amazon is already the second-largest producer of audiovisual content and is now moving into live event broadcasting.

What are we going to do if they steal our time? It becomes necessary to design a plan to overcome the siege or, at least, to mitigate its effects:

1. Learning to drive on the information highways. Access to a multitude of data is not always accompanied by interpretation and context. We build great information highways, but we have forgotten to teach how to drive. It is time for media literacy. With more data and news, the need to order information and not to rush, looking for solid evidence and going to the most reliable sources is reinforced.

   The tools of Digital Communication and mobile increase the speed of transmission of messages and news, facilitating dissemination and participation in real time. The speed of information has striking effects on reputation, dissemination and financial aid in natural disasters, political campaigns, social mobilizations or economic crises. Speed is source of gross errors, financial aid to spread potentially lethal rumors and can make it difficult to verify the quality of content. At network, everyone is a "journalist", but few are "editors". Speed is now essential, but we also need accuracy and quality.

2. Join the "friendliness revolution". In other words, technology is at the service of people, and should make us more social. But in some situations it can encourage anonymity. On Digital Communication , the visual and verbal cues provided by essential face-to-face encounters are often absent. However, Digital Communication makes it possible to reach more people and to maintain at least some closeness with them Degree .

   The multiplication of "friendships" that occurs in the new LinkedIn boom is a positive phenomenon, but the permanent connection causes obvious symptoms of addiction. Life online is an opportunity to display one's personality and exercise one's virtues (or defects). The network is a "publicplace " where we portray ourselves. This is why label is necessary.

   It is enough to look at the comments on the networks to discover users who utter insults, sow discord and are discourteous, hostile and angry. It is necessary to vindicate frank and open communication, optimism, courtesy, respect, gratitude and good Education. There is a digital revolution pending in the networks: that of kindness.

3. Disconnect to connect. We are permanently connected to keep up with friends and family or maintain contact with professional networks. But the permanent connection also generates concerns and the traditional boundaries between professional life and family life and friendship crumble.

   At the same time, there are movements that propose "disconnection" and a lifestyle that allows to take better advantage of the messages and contents, finding true spaces of friendship and rest, achieving "disconnect to connect".

Liberation from this siege is possible, but experience indicates the need to define some red lines. Self-imposed limits will improve the quality of our work: times without networks, cell phones that stay in the office during meetings, hours spent in airplane mode, time spent on paper books... At stake is the ability to listen, silence, attention and contemplation, aspects core topic to develop any creative work .

In reality, those who need permanent connection will not be able to implement projects with a certain depth and will be doomed to the continuous flow of new developments which, paradoxically, will reduce their productivity and efficiency. How are we going to come up with great ideas, listen to a colleague in need, enjoy a symphony or a sunset if we are unable to attend to them?