the techno-social environment

It’s the social system technology is embedded in that matters

Digital technology is capitalism in hyperdrive, injecting its logic of consumption and promotion, of monetization and efficiency, into every waking minute. - Franzen

In the post-Narrative age of the Database, we all assume responsibility for improvising our own, often tentative and fragile, narratives about both the world and ourselves. Because narrative is so critical to our sense of identity, however, we are tempted to zealously guard our narratives.

L. M. Sacasas • Narrative Collapse

On social media, passive audiences of the literacy era reversed into participants expressing thoughts and emotions as in oral communication. Algorithms track their preferences through countless identity markers. The entire design is built to reward identity signaling.

Andrey Mir • The Digital Reversal. Thread-saga of Media Evolution

Feelings are the compass of social navigation. They play the same role in social dynamics as the senses do in physical settings: they guide us. To navigate the social-digital, we need to sense the attitudes of others, just as a tribal individual needs to navigate tribal moods and attitudes. Digital reactions of users evolve (or devolve) into

Andrey Mir • The Digital Reversal. Thread-saga of Media Evolution

In other words, vibes.

We chase numbers and icons because they’re always available, and the chase is often so immersive that it keeps us from seeing where it leads, which is often far away from what we actually want. This can lead to what the evolutionary psychologist Diana Fleischman calls “counterfeit fitness”: the constant, momentary “wins” that come with playing... See more

Gurwinder • Why Everything Is Becoming a Game

The media and society can be understood as conversations - Jeff Jarvis

Although influencers are still closely associated with dance videos, e-commerce, and marketing, their role in shaping public opinion- especially around politics-is outsized. Influencers can harness attention, radiate trust, evoke emotion, and direct energy—all to great effect. They capitalize on atmospheric vibes and intuitions, giving people the

Where we had once been free to be ourselves online, we were now chained to ourselves online, and this made us self-conscious. Platforms that promised connection began inducing mass alienation.

The I in the Internet

With the proliferation of digital speech, communication reversed from information to affirmation. We post to reaffirm our standing in the digital tribe.