Digital Lockdown with Geert Lovink —

Temporary Autonomous Zones are not some identity circus ground for forgotten countercultures. The organization and maintenance of our own virtual and real spaces is pivotal.

What overwhelms young people is the task to establish a (professional) life. Where to start? The lack of overview and the information overload create a feeling of constant panic. So much to read, so much to know. How do I enter networks and build one myself? Where do I fit in? What can I contribute?

The good news is that we have amazing tools at hand, and marvellous trainers. The irony of today is that we no longer have our spaces in which to gather. This is why the resurrection of the squatters’ movements in large cities is of the upmost urgency.

How do we liberate ourselves from the digital chains so that we can pay attention to other things? For me, the emphasis on individual solutions, therapy, and the change of behavior is the main obstacle to overcome the smartphone.