We decide what we want to be important to us. You started and you hit the hammer on the literal head of the issue. You are truly in the right to say that attention is sometimes undervalued by us but shouldn't be.
Our attention is linked to our cognition in so many ways. Abundance of it can sometimes make us think that it is not all that important, when in reality it can change our whole perspective on things when wisely used.

In this time when diversions are way of life, it has become even more important.