Ruminations on our relationship with technology
Christopher Cocchiarella Stoic virtue for social media Summary: If some folks find themselves constantly feeling angry or outraged, one reason may be because they’re perpetually distracted. At least, that was an observation the Stoic philosopher Seneca made two millennia ago. His advice: Remove unnecessary distractions to cultivate a calm (as opposed to agitated) state of mind. That … Read more
Four ways to practice digital minimalism According to Cal Newport, author of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, we can greatly improve our lives by learning how to use technology more intentionally—that is, in ways that support our goals and values. Newport refers to this approach as digital minimalism. (See Part … Read more
The philosophy of digital minimalism: Questioning the value of technology Look around the next time you’re in line at Chipotle, Whole Foods, or Exxon: our addictions are showing. A generation ago, nearly everyone casually puffed cigarettes throughout the day. Today, indoor smoking seems crazy, but it’s been replaced by the captivating glow of our four-inch … Read more
Are e-books or e-readers good technologies for reading? Summary: There are key differences between screen media and print media, and these differences make books better than screens for reading, especially deep reading. But what about e-books? Are e-readers good technologies for reading too? Interestingly, although they’re technically screens, e-readers have features that imitate books. Consequently, … Read more
Why Screens Are Better Than Books For Interactive Learning Summary: Although books are good for deep reading that requires focusing, recalling, and reflecting upon what you learn, screens are better than books for interactive kinds of learning, such as presenting dynamic content or simulating game-like interfaces. Thus, screens work well for activities like visualization, navigation, … Read more
Why Books Are Better Than Screens for Reading Summary: Screens are good for skimming when you need to scan text, search or sift through information, and find content quickly. But books are better than screens for deep reading that requires focusing, recalling, and reflecting upon what you learned. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was already … Read more
Why gods of technology can’t replace gods of myth As a professional interested in technology, and as a bibliophile with a love for mythology, one piece of fiction I often recommend is Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods. Published right at the turn of the millennium (2001), American Gods was a wild success, selling millions of … Read more
Synopsis of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less From Each Other Self-ordering kiosks in restaurants. Self-checkout machines at stores. Self-driving vehicles on the road. Year by year, an unstoppable trend appears to be gaining traction across multiple industries: automation. It’s clear what the economic consequences of automation will be: robots will … Read more
Why are electronic messages prone to misinterpretation? When it comes to business technology, emails and other electronic messages (texts, IMs, chats, etc.) are certainly popular. They often feel efficient to write and straightforward to read. But they can create problems, especially in work settings: namely, the problem of misinterpretation. Perhaps it’s because we don’t sense … Read more