Why do people look at their phones when everyone else does?
Attention spreads faster than opinions.
One person checks a phone.\n\nThen three more.\n\nSoon everybody does.\n\nThe hidden mechanism is shared attention.\n\nHumans monitor what others notice.\n\nAttention is social.\n\nCuriosity is contagious.\n\nPeople think focus is individual.\n\nVery often, it is collective.
