afraid of people (their attention)
just wanted to share about my phobia and some thoughts i have about it
i am afraid of:
being at the center of a spotlight (like participating in a group chat or just being in a social setting with multiple people)
being looked at (like when you walk in public and there are lots of people around and you know you are very visibile)
being noticed (like when you walk into a room and people look at you)
there is also a fear of standing out
it scares me to be perceived as different, because if you do not "blend" in you are more noticable
and more noticable = more attention
i have heard of something called systematic desensitization, but i struggle to apply it, because when you fear something so basic as human attention, how can you progressively exposure yourself to it?
the only thing that seems to help is anonymity
like the anonymity found on the internet or if you are outside at night
i think that is because the scariest thing is attention from someone who knows you
i want to cure my phobia so i am going to try some things, my current plan is to:
go to a foreign city and walking the streets and since nobody knows me their attention will not be so scary
next step could be to get to know some people
third step could be to exposure myself even more to the same people
fourth step - perhaps cured?
@AlternativeAllan I agree that it can be much easier to be among strangers, than among people we know. Strangers in a busy city after all just go to their destination and don't really look around at others. You plan sounds good. I hope everything goes well. Best of luck. You can do this!
@AlternativeAllan It is very brave of you to recognize this difficulty, face it, and think of solutions for the same. It takes courage to implement these steps that you have thought of, and I also feel confident that they would help you overcome this challenge better. 
In times of difficulty, do not lose hope, for success is often not achieved at the first try. But with each trials, you would get stronger and braver.
What you pointed out about anonymity is so correct! It helps to build courage. So, try to be as active on online forums (anonymously) as you can and embrace the anonymous attention that you receive. Also, have you tried blogging or maintaining a journal about your feelings? More importantly, remember to note down smalllest of your achievements - instances when you exuded courage, and how it felt. Feel the thrill of small victories over your challenges.
Another thing that might help is to recognize the root cause i.e. try to figure out why you don't prefer attention, how that makes you feel, and what it triggers, if anything. When we go to the rootcause of something, we are better enabled to address a matter.
Wishing you good luck and courage! Embrace your new adventure! 
Can relate. When my depression was really bad, I felt anxious just leaving my house. My neck and chest would ache just from walking down the street.
Im curious: do you have any other fears?
I have the same problem. When meeting up with people at a house party, I procrastinate before knocking to be let in. I just listen to all the noise inside and knock after a minute.
I also value privacy very heavily and try to be as quiet and conscientious as possible. I don't show my phone or my personal belongings to anybody, I think my perception of privacy is much different than everyone elses. And this makes me feel more guarded and wary around people.