Attention Anarchy
In the past, I’ve really beat myself up about how much time I spent on my phone. I realized later that I’m using these apps how they were designed to be used, to extract as much of my time as possible. It’s not a personal failing, it’s reflective of a larger issue.
I hope that in the future social media will have a business model that isn’t so exploitative. Until then, we just have to do what we can to stay focused on what’s important in an increasingly distracted age.
TTYL,
Madi
ADVICE AND INSPIRATION
How I Broke My Smartphone Addiction
TL;DR: In the app Forest, you plant a tree which dies if you mess with your phone. If going grayscale or deleting apps hasn’t helped your phone habits, gamifying the process might!
When a digital detox isn’t possible
TL;DR: If you rely heavily on technology for work, a digital detox might not be possible. Here are ideas on how to create space between you and your phone without disconnecting entirely.
TECH ISSUES
AIM was the killer app of 1997. It’s still shaping the internet today
TL;DR: In the early days of the internet, you logged on when you needed to. With the dawn of the “away” message, AIM shaped our current always-online culture.
The Hidden Costs of Automated Thinking
TL;DR: Algorithms are everywhere, and we don’t always know how they work. Jonathan Zittrain argues that reliance on algorithms we don’t understand could have dire consequences.
Jack Dorsey Wants to Help You Create Your Own Twitte
TL;DR: Would decentralized social media solve the censorship debate? Jack Dorsey wants to find out.
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