How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
by Jenny Odell
I recently read this book and enjoyed the idea of learning more about the social networking industry and how to counteract it's addictive nature. I think I have a reasonable balance in the amount of time I spend with technology, but I suppose, that's what someone who has disengaged from his/her local environs might say.
The book was a collage of the author's influences (influencers?). It was not a how-to guide or an exposition of how the industry has affected local communities. Some of the influencers mentioned were:
* David Hockney, a collage artist
* Martin Buber, who authored the idea of an 'I-it' versus 'I-Thou' perspective of others.
* Devangi Vivrekar, who authored a research paper – Persuasive Design Techniques in the Attention Economy. I enjoyed reading this section as it explained the layouts and design choices of popular social media apps.
I put Blindspotting by Daveed Diggs in my Netflix queue. I heard his interview on Bullseye. Based on that and Ms. Odell's writing, I realize San Francisco is rife with local history and culture.
I had to look up the Angel of History by Paul Klee and American Progress by John Gast. I need to research Nextdoor.com, and other software to better support the local groups I'm involved with.
