2.1. Facebook

When the Football World Cup took place in Qatar, any previous followers of the sports newspapers' Facebook pages would have been overwhelmed by the power of EdgeRank (Facebook's algorithm). That algorithm loaded the feed with multiple highlights and news stories of that sporting event. For sports journalists and newspaper managers, the men's World Cup event was more interesting from the standpoint of interest and attention than any discussion about ethics or human rights compliance in Qatar. That is because the events of the boiling moment capture more attention than any theoretical discussion about a host country's laws. Minute after minute, hour after hour, news about the World Cup erupted through Facebook users' viewing frames on their feeds. For someone who already followed digital sports newspapers, the World Cup event became the most attention-dominant event of its users from November 20 to December 18, 2022.

One of the moments of the event that circulated the most on Portuguese Facebook at that time was, precisely, the moment when Cristiano Ronaldo tried to head the ball to the goal, which was ultimately credited to teammate Bruno Fernandes (Figure 1).

^{RTP, 2022}

Figure 1 Still image of Cristiano Ronaldo trying to head the ball 

However, an important aspect to consider on Facebook is: that the attention-capturing through EdgeRank differs from other platforms with other algorithms. On Facebook, this moment, for example, represents a type of attention-capturing that includes "video of the moment", "news", and "public comments/conversations". Thus, in simplistic terms, we can classify Facebook as a digital platform where video emerges as the support of the moment to work as a trigger (^{Costa, 2020a}) of conversations, comments, reactions and shares. The attention captured is of the kind of moment turned into news and immediate public discussion.

That is what happened in this case: the video of the goal worked as a trigger of conversations, comments, reactions and shares. Those who idolised Cristiano Ronaldo wrote things in its favour; those who hated Cristiano Ronaldo wrote things against it; and others, perhaps more neutral and disinterested, watched the topic unfold. The moment became open news and the stage for countless heated conversations. As a record of moments, the emotion of the moment and video is one of the factors of temptation and loyalty in placing communities around common elements. As ^{Han (2018/2018}) would say, amid the whirlwind of events and in a time where it is easy to create dualisms and binomials, what is different will be easily rejected and what is equal easily confirmed with the sociotechnical permissions of digital networks' customisation.

2.2. Instagram

On Instagram, the algorithm is slightly different. It mainly shows the most personal images from the individual's network with the most reactions. Moreover, its network is different because the algorithm's layout is different. Instagram's structure is set up for us to follow mostly individual personalities (and not so much collective ones) and images. The link to the outside, such as a news site, does not exist enticingly (it only appears in the text). When following a person/personality/institution, text summons me to stay on the platform, to the event and to the existing likes from the people in my network. The comments, for example, are numbered but with little prominence.

Let us go back to Cristiano Ronaldo's near header moment: in this network, it was not so much about whether Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball or not, in words. It was mainly the image showing the moment, not as much as a news item but as a moment turned into imagery art. On this platform, the online newspaper institution almost disappears, leaving the moment stripped of the institutionalisation of subjects and customised by the network element that shares it. Thus, unlike Facebook, where the newspaper, the channel or the TV page enters the feed with the moment and gives us access to their pages, on Instagram, the capture of attention is rather on someone personal in my network, therefore someone non-institutional, and the moment in the form of a photograph or video (reels; Figure 2).

^{swann ritossa, 2022}

Figure 2 Montage to demonstrate the achievements or shortcomings of the Portuguese national team's performance at the World Cup in Qatar 

In this sense, we can classify Instagram as a digital platform where the video is a second version, something already processed, edited and subjectively customised by someone, to be a trigger, not so much of conversations or comments but rather of instant reactions and shares. The attention captured is of the kind of moment turned into the subjectivity of another to conquer reactions that ensure visibility to that who customises and propagates.

2.3. TikTok

On TikTok, everything is very different from the previous ones. Still, more different from Facebook than from Instagram. On the same subject, what prevailed on this platform were short videos, of little more than 15 seconds, about this event. In this case, the videos were not those of Cristiano Ronaldo almost touching the ball but rather of someone reproducing a simulated moment to show what happened (Figure 3). The capture strategy is different, but the digital montage, the tragedy of imitation with a joke, or the montage in the form of parody on Ronaldo's claiming of the goal are some of the most common examples on this digital platform (^{Grados & Gabriela, 2020}). The fact that this network is composed of a young generation introduces, among other differentiating elements, the following: speed in video transition, the climax of the event in a few seconds, and simultaneous fun or tragedy. If the user reacts positively to the corresponding video, the algorithm gives other ways of representing the moment on video. Almost without letting the user breathe, the videos follow each other constantly on topics to which the user has reacted positively, thus creating a pattern of attention. Such a pattern is built by the different reactions to different types of video (whether the user likes the funniest, the most tragic, emotional, or violent, etc.). Here, what captures me is my subjectivity in 15 seconds of video on one or more topics. That is, the type of capture is focused on the individual, the things he or she most likes to see, and is turned into a 15-second video.

^{GOAL Brasil, 2022}

Figure 3 Scanned simulation of the goal 

2.4. YouTube

YouTube has two ways of capturing attention: either through short videos; or by the suggestions of videos by topic (music bands, animes, movies and movie premieres, video games, football plays, etc.). The algorithm suggests videos describing the user's personal history, from the most watched to the least watched. Going back to the football topic: on this network, it will not be Cristiano Ronaldo trying to head the ball at that moment, but some compilation of his best moments playing football and preferably with music playing (Figure 4). YouTube's algorithm preferentially merges visuals with audio - since part of its success is music playlists. So, if we access a Cristiano Ronaldo video, a few more will be suggested about his performance, interspersed every five by videos that the user has already viewed several times (usually on other subjects to enable retention through diversity). In other words, on this digital platform, the individual's preferences are those focused on longer videos. The attention is captured because the user already has a profile generated by the algorithm (GoogleRank), and there is a strong sound dynamic to make retention and loyalty. We can classify YouTube as a digital platform that captures attention by using video to capture visual and audio subjectivity simultaneously.

^{ALL GAMES, 2022}

Figure 4 Ronaldo's reaction to the uncredited goal 

2.5. Twitter

Twitter is down to the individual in a comment or opinion mode. The opinions pop up in the feed through other people or personalities. Taking the football example again, we will get a personality we follow, drawing comments about the World Cup or a particular match or moment of that event (Figure 5). Here, the emphasis is on people's opinions, which the individual follows, and will capture his or her attention. That is, among the various comments that are followed, the algorithm will favour and highlight those that obtain greater numerical repercussions (shares, reactions, etc.). Twitter shows a greater preponderance in the rationalised-opinative attention of the individual's life. In this social network, the attention captured is the individual's opinion historically recorded in the algorithm, or its opposite, to lead it to retweet or discussion.

Image retrieved from https://twitter.com/search?q=golo%20de%20ronal do%20ou%20de%20bruno%20fernandes&src=typed_query

Figure 5 Excerpt of the commentary on the goal situation 

2.6. Wikipedia

Wikipedia is here, purposely, a nuance vis-à-vis all previous digital platforms. It is a different platform in objectives and priorities because it aims neither for profit nor to retain people's loyalty. It is the dissemination of its content, of written and encyclopaedic scope, that matters, even if it is also subject to contingencies (^{Costa, 2021b}; ^{Costa et al., 2021}). During the pandemic, its most visited page was the daily counts of dead/infected with COVID-19. In the World Cup 2022 period, it was content about players, teams or track records/scores in World Cups. The focus is on the content's accuracy, depending on external sources, which will serve not so much the moment itself but the moment's posterity. For example, about football World Cups: if there are doubts about who has won more World Cups; when; with which teams; etc. Wikipedia is a safe place to check this kind of information. Here the type of attention-capturing is for posterity and curiosity about the knowledge recorded. The place of the video is non-existent. The case of Cristiano Ronaldo's video almost touching the ball is not even in their database because it is not a recorded fact in his favour.

3.1. The Logical Laws of Attention-Capturing

The logical laws of attention-capturing, as we see it, consist of regularities and patterns established when one content is logically preferred by the attention of the masses over others. They can be categorised into three types.

3.1.1. Logical Law 1 - Context, Contingency and Attractiveness

Logical law 1 can be easily summarised: the invention and recombination of capture content in the digital environment are influenced by the social context, social and community contingencies and the capabilities (lyrical, textual, sound, technical, technological, etc.) lent to the content, and ultimately, shared, recombined and imitated on the various digital platforms.

One such example is the case of YouTube influencers, who tend to combine, in a single content, the general needs of the social context and the contingency of the masses with communicational skills based on persuasive information (^{Costa, 2020c}).

3.1.2. Logical Law 2 - Success Is the Result of Propagation, Adaptation and Compatibility

In logical law 2, the protagonist is the success. The success of content that captures the attention on digital is measured by its ability to spread (shares, comments, reactions, views, etc.) from its place of origin, adapting and making it compatible with various types of imitation possible and provided by the different platforms.

For example, we can cite the case of algorithms that operate based on the numerical success of content: more reactions, expansion, and propagation in feeds. However, this propagation and expansion capability depends on the ability to adapt to the media, that is, the response obtained in the digital media. The discussion on Facebook whether Cristiano Ronaldo touched the ball with his hair or not is great for Facebook and Twitter, but not so much for YouTube because the latter focuses on video moments that browse through personal preferences, nor for Wikipedia, which will always highlight who produced the fact (the goal) validated by the institution International Association Football Federation.

3.1.3. Logical Law 3 - The Content That Captures More Is the Winner of Duels and Accumulator of Strategies

In logical law 3, we assume a historical accumulation of knowledge and techniques in the capture processes. Adopting an attention-capturing strategy is made in a duel with other strategies or in a logic of accumulating other previous strategies (logical combination of capturing strategies). The masses selecting a certain content always means progress regarding attention-capturing. To illustrate this, we can take the case of visual trends that algorithms suggest.

These are at the forefront of attention-capturing at the moment. The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo did not touch the ball generated attention-capturing mainly because he did not accept the decision during the television broadcast. This small controversy generated memes and further developments in the digital networks, where Ronaldo's hair augmentation proposal could be the solution to the "problem". The use of memes or montages is not new, but their continued addition to the events is a way of boosting the topic from the perspective of fun and thus spreading it. In the case of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it emerged that Ukraine had changed the names of road signs to deceive the advancing troops. That also peculiar issue was the subject of various developments in memes, montages and videos, increasing the capacity to capture attention to the topic. In fact, concerning this conflict, it is possible to see an accumulation of strategies to get messages across: on the Russian side, justifying the invasion; on the Ukrainian side, justifying Russian crime. The memes and variations that add to the subjects express the basic human emotions (fear, anger, disgust, surprise, happiness and sadness) in a game form on digital platforms.

3.2. The Non-Logical Laws of Attention-Capturing

The non-logical laws of attention-capturing are made of regularities and patterns established when one content is illogically more reckoned by the attention of the masses than others.

3.2.1. Non-Logical Law 1 - From the Inner Subjective to the Outer Objective

Non-logical law 1 invades the non-rational side of the individual. For there to be successful attention-capturing through digital content, it has to be able to persuade the individual in their subjectivity. Through active and passive algorithms, platforms discover more personal likings and preferences, increasing the potential for capturing emotional aspects and desires. Here it is not about logic but about intimacy and subjectivity.

For example, we can refer to the pattern of likes and subjectivities when we realise that algorithms fill our feed with (possible) topics and videos on certain subjects. If the user tends to like watching videos of animal life, the suggestions in short videos are full of aspects of animal life. This continuum between likings and subjectivities is streamlined by suggestion algorithms that ultimately capture attention.

3.2.2. Non-Logical Law 2 - From the Social Superior to the Social Inferior, and Vice-Versa

Non-logical law 2 focuses on the relationship between dominant and dominated, between elites and lower castes. The action of the elite is almost always the most suggestive and contagious in attention-capturing. However, some trends start at the base and go viral, often acting on unconscious processes of reception, which eventually reach the elites and thus reinforce or impose themselves. This law is regularly fulfilled in the action of attention-capturing.

A practical example is the case of fashion. The transition of trends from top to bottom is constant. On digital, influencers promote trends at various levels. The biggest Lusophone YouTuber (Luccas Neto) produces fashions and influences among younger people, both in the top-down and bottom-up sense regarding opinions and issues (^{Costa, 2020c}). These influences are not so much at the discursive level but more of the aesthetic type and belonging to a youth group.

3.2.3. Non-Logical Law 3 - The Change and Transition of Fashions, Habits and Customs

Non-logical law 3 is, somehow, related to non-logical laws 1 and 2, where fashions, habits, trends and customs fall into the universe of imitation and repetition. Contingent intellects and aesthetics from particular subjectivities cause changes in fashions, habits and customs in the attention-capturing process.

The TV programme Big Brother has generated specific online programmes with celebrities (the case of the Kardashians). This trend of showing life in real-time is, in a way, similar to what is done on digital networks through the constant sharing of moments and selfies. This form of attention-capturing is quite present in contemporary society. However, its affront and contestation are also a force. Moreover, the forces of contestation tend to provoke ruptures in existing models and traditions. Non-logical law 3 is the law that opposes avant-gardists to conservatives and how new syntheses emerge from it that produce change and transition in practices, habits and customs.

3.3. Laws of Video in Attention-Capturing in Digital Platforms

These laws of attention-capturing are, as we see them, at the origin of the development (and formatting) of contingent intellects - thought structures that, in contingency, grow stronger due to their greater repetition and universal imitation (^{Costa, 2020a}, ^2020b, ^2021a, ^2021b). In that regard, using digital platforms, boosted by algorithms that reinforce our trends, tastes and habits, makes this construction more robust.

Video, in particular, manages to objectify and implement the logical and nonlogical laws of attention-capturing, giving it an imagery sense and concurrently subscribing to the dynamics of capturing at large. It emerges fundamentally on digital platforms as an element that contextualises contingency while seducing with the importance of the moment experienced by the social individual who inhabits digital platforms. Therefore, video as context, contingency and element of seduction is one of the main laws of its strength in capturing attention.

Furthermore, the successful video which propagates itself becomes compatible with the network and lends itself to adaptation to other similar dynamics is also a law of attention-capturing. The most viewed, shared, and permanently updated videos trigger the algorithms and thus strengthen their effectiveness in capturing attention until another takes their place. Paraphrasing ^{Gabriel Tarde (1890/1978}), video content emerges and grows through sharing and reaction, then stagnates and finally recedes as new content emerges. This is a simple but very common law on digital platforms.

On the other hand, the video that captures the most views is, obviously, a duel winner. To be so, it needs to accumulate logical strategies: be persuasive, be viral, promote the common (among those who watch it), create tension between opposites and consensus among equals, be capable of replication and parody, and be emotional and creative.

Notwithstanding the logical side of the videos' power of attention-capturing, they also need to attain strong non-logical dimensions to impose themselves: to allow the passage of subjective dimensions of the moment to objective dimensions of exteriority. The eagerness and revolt of Cristiano Ronaldo claiming authorship of the goal against Uruguay at the Qatar 2022 World Cup demonstrates the combative spirit of his ego and how this can be a cause for social discussion as a good or a bad example. Videos with subjective dimensions, amenable to moralising, gain strong success rates.

Also, within the non-logical side of attention-capturing through video, it is important to highlight that the elites and their action give this communication support a superior force. Even if the side of the poor boy who becomes a football player known worldwide constitutes an easy imagination for creating social engagement and adherence, the truth is that it is from arriving at the top that this type of visual content starts to gain dimension and capacity of capture. In other words, arriving or departing from someone of the elite makes a difference in the art of attention-capturing.

Finally, a non-logical law in the video is the rupture with socially established fashions, habits and customs. The challenge to the established and conventionalised clashes with the traditionalist side, imposing a non-logical duel between avant-gardists and traditionalists, which tends to be a success in digital environments. Going back to the example of Cristiano Ronaldo, the videos that started challenging him as an exemplary professional got great reach, especially because they mixed followers and challengers in a non-logical battle between gratitude and ingratitude.