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Advertising Quote by Tristan Harris

“For any company whose business model is advertising, or engagement-based advertising, meaning they care about the amount of time someone spends on the product, they make more money the more time people spend.” quote by Tristan Harris
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“For any company whose business model is advertising, or engagement-based advertising, meaning they care about the amount of time someone spends on the product, they make more money the more time people spend.”

Tristan Harris

About This Quote

Source Speech: Keynote at Center for Humane Technology, 2018

Advertising models profit from longer user engagement, incentivizing designs that capture attention often at the expense of well‑being.

In simple terms: More time on a product means more ad revenue.

Key Takeaway

Design responsibly to respect user time.

Themes

attention economy ethics design business model user well‑being

Mood

concerned urgent

Type

ethical critical

When to use this quote

  • app development
  • media planning
  • policy making
  • digital wellness programs

Key Concepts

behavioral manipulation monetization strategies

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can companies balance revenue with user welfare?
  • What alternatives exist to attention‑based monetization?
A Different Perspective

Profit motives can conflict with user health.

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