DL 352

Culture Jamming

Hey all. Here's Digitally Literate, issue #352.

🔖 Key Takeaways

Long-Term Thinking: Balancing immediate gratification with future goals in a distracted world.
Generational Myths: Debunking the use of generational labels to define behavior.
Digital Public Square: Examining the complexities of reimagining social media as democratic spaces.

📚 This Week’s Highlights

1. Shortcuts Are Killing Humanity. It’s Time to Meet the Alternative.

Ari Wallach argues for the importance of long-term thinking in achieving future goals, even amid daily pressures.
Why this matters: Long-term thinking can empower individuals to plan and act with intention despite modern distractions.

2. Generations, We Hardly Knew Ye: An Obituary

Cort Rudolph and Hannes Zacher critique the overuse of generational labels and advocate for a lifespan perspective.
Why this matters: Understanding human behavior as a continuous process rather than distinct generational traits leads to more meaningful insights.

3. Mastodon Isn’t Just A Replacement for Twitter

Nathan Schneider and Amy Hasinoff highlight Mastodon’s potential as a democratic, decentralized social network.
Why this matters: Moving beyond commercial platforms could foster community-driven innovation and equity online.

4. Twitter Is Not the Town Square

Angel Eduardo critiques the idea of Twitter as a public square and explores the possibility of creating true digital public squares.
Why this matters: Reimagining social media platforms as equitable public spaces requires radical changes in structure and governance.

5. Hey Siri, I Love You: People Feel More Attached to Gendered Technology

Ashley Martin and Malia F. Mason study consumer attachment to gendered technologies like Siri and Alexa.
Why this matters: Exploring these dynamics helps us understand the implications of gendered stereotypes in technology design.

6. Who Still Needs the Carnivalesque?

Ed Simon discusses the role of the carnivalesque in society and its connection to culture jamming and iconoclasm.
Why this matters: Embracing joy and subversion in serious times can challenge societal norms and foster creativity.

Prestige psychology offers ways to escape irrational status-seeking behaviors. Strategies include:

Practicing metacognition to align with long-term goals.
Surrounding yourself with explorers.
Exploring unconventional paths.
Focusing on learning new skills.

🌟 Closing Reflection

“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you.”
— Steve Jobs

Reflect and Engage

How can we promote long-term thinking in a distracted world? Share your thoughts in Long-Term Thinking in the Digital Age.
What are the flaws of generational labels, and how can lifespan perspectives offer better insights? Reflect in Generational Labels and Lifespan Perspectives.
Should social media platforms act as public squares? Explore more in Social Media as a Public Square.

Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.