Attention Policing

Performatively questioning why something isn't getting more attention when it's already widely visible.

"Anyone else find it odd this is getting so little attention?"

"Why isn't everyone talking about this?"

"Surprised this isn't blowing up more."

"Can't believe this only has X upvotes."

Why It's Unproductive

Reframes the conversation around meta-commentary about visibility instead of the actual topic. It's tempting because it positions the commenter as someone who spotted something important before others, but it usually appears on posts that already have thousands of views. Derails potential substantive discussion into debates about algorithms, attention, and what "deserves" visibility.

The Better Move

"This is important. Here's why I think more people should see it: [specific reason]."

"I shared this with [relevant group] because [why it matters to them]."

"The part about [specific detail] seems underappreciated."

Just engage with the content directly without the meta-commentary.

Why It's Better

Focuses on why something matters rather than performing surprise about attention metrics. If something truly deserves wider visibility, explaining why or actively sharing it is more useful than commenting about the metrics.

Example

OP: "Study shows microplastics found in 90% of tested water supplies." [15,000 upvotes, 800 comments]

Antipattern reply: "Anyone else find it odd this is getting so little attention? This should be front page news everywhere."

Better: "The methodology section mentions they tested rural and urban sources differently. Would be interested to see a breakdown by region."