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key graf: Why, despite multiple reports[1] from Silicon Valley whistleblowers revealing that technology companies are using manipulative designs to prolong our

key graf: Why, despite multiple reports[1] from Silicon Valley whistleblowers revealing that technology companies are using manipulative designs to prolong our time online, do we feel personally responsible? Why do we still blame ourselves and keep seeking new self-help methods to decrease our time online? We can learn from the past because in this case the tech companies did not innovate. Instead, the technology industry manipulated us following an old playbook, put together by other powerful industries, including the tobacco and food industries. [1] https://www.wired.com/story/our-minds-have-been-hijacked-by-our-phones-tristan-harris-wants-to-rescue-them/ https://www.wired.com/story/our-minds-have-been-hijacked-by-... Gaia Bernstein, author is this article, has a new book out "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies"

gsatic 4y ago
You can't gain control over anything if you don't own it in the first place. All systems designed by the tech industry/attention economy don't assume the customer is the owner of their attention. These systems buy and sell attention as if the content publisher is the owner of ppls attention and the advertiser is the buys it from the publisher. So there is no question of controlling your attention when these ppl buy and sell your attention without you having any say in the transaction. Its a fantastic form of property theft.
- skmurphy 4y ago
  I think self-awareness, self-control through better habits and peer support, and some changes to tool configurations can make significant differences. I think you have control over what you pay attention to--certainly what you interact with--and mindfulness can help. I don't think it's as grim as you are portraying it. But I agree I have not seen much improvement in the last five years when I blogged about it in https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2018/06/02/superstimulus-refining-online-interactions-into-digital-heroin-2/ https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2018/06/02/superstimulus-refin... Any improvement has to start with self-awareness and it's not clear that most people are aware of the negative impact of many of these technologies.

gsatic 4y ago

You can't gain control over anything if you don't own it in the first place. All systems designed by the tech industry/attention economy don't assume the customer is the owner of their attention. These systems buy and sell attention as if the content publisher is the owner of ppls attention and the advertiser is the buys it from the publisher. So there is no question of controlling your attention when these ppl buy and sell your attention without you having any say in the transaction. Its a fantastic form of property theft.

skmurphy 4y ago
I think self-awareness, self-control through better habits and peer support, and some changes to tool configurations can make significant differences. I think you have control over what you pay attention to--certainly what you interact with--and mindfulness can help. I don't think it's as grim as you are portraying it. But I agree I have not seen much improvement in the last five years when I blogged about it in https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2018/06/02/superstimulus-refining-online-interactions-into-digital-heroin-2/ https://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2018/06/02/superstimulus-refin... Any improvement has to start with self-awareness and it's not clear that most people are aware of the negative impact of many of these technologies.