Severin Matusek

At Nike World Headquarters, Leenknegt and her team developed a foundation for what they called ‘Energy Marketing’ to build the “unspoken soul” of the brand. Marketing today may seem solely analytical, and performance based, but Leenknegt knows that to reach the consumer most effectively you need to realize that they are human; they desire... See more

We shifted from cyberpunk manifestos, to corporate networks and the commoditization of the user for economic extraction.

n the vacuum of this interim period we're offered up a brief window of reflection. Before another cycle of froth and evangelism sets in (cough cough AI), perhaps it's a good time to ask ourselves about what we just went through?

Functionalist theories, building on Durkheim’s insights, analyze totemism in terms of its social functions. From a functionalist perspective, totemism contributes to social cohesion by providing a shared system of beliefs and practices that reinforce group solidarity. The totemic system establishes social boundaries, regulates behavior through... See more

So how is it that we have entered into our most digitally connected age ever yet loneliness is at an all-time high?

A few things come to mind:

• The new ways we connect lack depth


• We face information overload from too many people we don't care much about


• We move locations and jobs more often


• Information is decentralized: we go to technology for

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In practice, this devotion to luck reveals itself everywhere from retail trading frenzies to viral overnight success stories. Instead of following predictable career ladders or carefully planned investments, people chase sudden gains, hoping to decode the next market upswing or social media glitch.

I’ve noticed a new trend among the chattering classes of online AI guy hypebeast. Their current stage of grief over AGI not arriving or having very little to show in the way of ROI for their LLMs has shifted to blaming the users. To them, it’s not that AI is not working as they intended; it’s the people who are too stupid to understand how to use... See more