On Attention and the Internet
The “soft” characteristics of any kind of contemplative behavior (slowness, eddying, meandering) make it easy to devalue. And this, too: creative space often feels resistant, like it’s denying us something, won’t speak, won’t produce—when in reality it’s just quiet, it’s not dancing for us, or “entertaining,” or feeding us dopamine edibles.
Lia Purpura Published • The Ecology of Attention
We experience the externalities of the attention economy in little drips, so we tend to describe them with words of mild bemusement like “annoying” or “distracting.” But this is a grave misreading of their nature. In the short term, distractions can keep us from doing the things we want to do. In the longer term, however, they can accumulate and... See more
Jenny Odell • How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
The internet was revolutionary once, it offered the promise that anyone could communicate and connect and share their creations with other likeminded souls. It was based on authenticity and weirdness and fun. It wasn’t for everyone and you had to hold your own but within it you could find whatever you wanted to and you could discover art and voices... See more
The Internet is Boring
Something else happens in a world of superabundance, and an attention economy. Because you can’t find what you want, you start to dig yourself into very specific niches, and join sub-groups. Everyone atomizes into millions of groups connected by very specific interests. In more benign ways, it can be great – you find your fellow travelers, and I... See more
Ten (Big) Trends
"When everything is readily available and consumable, contemplative attention is impossible." (Byung-Chal Han, Vita Contemplativa)