The status signal is circular: you can afford to be selectively online because you have capital, and being selectively online signals you have capital. The rest of us are still grinding for algorithmic visibility because we don’t have another choice.

I’m convinced that it’s going to become a straightforwardly high-status, elite play to renounce phones, social media, and many other aspects of digital culture. In a world of insane information abundance and always-on connection, reclaiming the stillness of your own mind will be akin to flying private.

If I’m right, we’ll see a growing divide

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I don’t want to sound too much like the "we should improve society somewhat" meme, because obviously, people are going to talk about being less online...online. Social media remains a key arena for discourse about cultural, technological, and social issues. That said, I want to make two points.

First, being offline has become an aesthetic language... See more