The Monetization of Information
Anastasia Whelley
The Monetization of Information is a project that explores the media habits and literacy skills of Generation Z (Gen Z). Through research, design, and attempted satire, this thesis dissects how design shapes our information consumption habits, how corporations manipulate our attention, and how Gen Z remains trapped in an endless cycle of consumption. It’s about the media, but it’s also about control—who has it and who profits from it.
The Monetization of Information is a two-part project: a digital experience and a printed process book. The website functions as an interactive journal, with each section serving as a fragmented diary entry on media consumption, UI influence, and corporate control. As users navigate, the experience gradually unravels, mirroring the reality of digital media consumption.
The book compiles this process into a structured visual and analytical manifesto, bringing scattered reflections into a cohesive narrative. Together, they serve as both an artifact of our time and a challenge to rethink how we engage with information.
Gen Z is drowning in content. We scroll, we skim, we share, and we forget. News blurs with entertainment, headlines compete for our attention, and somewhere in the chaos, meaning is lost. This project is both a critique and a reflection of the way we consume media and the systems that keep us engaged but uninformed.