David Pennington
@dtpennington
I write stuff. I’d like to write more stuff. Currently: reclaiming my brain.
David Pennington
dtpennington.com
Algorithmic systems reduce this randomness significantly. They optimize our information environment for relevance and engagement, which means showing us more of what we’ve already engaged with. The system can’t show us what it doesn’t predict we want, and it can’t predict interest in something that falls outside our behavioral patterns.
This means... See more
This means... See more
Our Horizon of Possibilities: How Algorithms Contract Our World
“To make art, you have to have just as much doubt as you do confidence.”
AI can make it easier to pass tests but it doesn’t do anything about the actual, magical transformation of learning. The AI student is forever a tenant, never an owner, of their curiosity.
Artificial intelligence is making you genuinely stupid
I Talked to the Cassandra of the Internet Age
archive.ph
Techocalypse and Idleism
Michael Goldhaber is the internet prophet you’ve never heard of. Here’s a short list of things he saw coming: the complete dominance of the internet, increased shamelessness in politics, terrorists co-opting social media, the rise of reality television, personal websites, oversharing, personal essay, fandoms and online influencer culture — along with the near destruction of our ability to focus.
She thought about that for a moment. “But it’s so boring,” she said. “Yes, that’s true,” I said. “Boredom is not just boring. It can also be terrifying. It forces us to come face-to-face with bigger questions of meaning and purpose. But boredom is also an opportunity for discovery and invention. It creates the space necessary for a new thought to
... See moreAnna Lembke • Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
But that’s not why you should write.
You should write because when you know that you’re going to write, it changes the way you live.
You should write because when you know that you’re going to write, it changes the way you live.
James Somers • More People Should Write
You are allowed time off the Internet.
Emma Gannon • How to be less online in 2025
Five Ways to adjust your life to better survive these winter months.