DL 392

Accept and Connect

Welcome to Digitally Literate, issue #392. Your go-to source for insightful content on education, technology, and the digital landscape.

🔖 Key Takeaways

• Attention Economy: Attention has become the most valuable resource in the digital age, shaping how businesses and individuals interact.
• Deskilling: The rise of automation and AI redefines skillsets, raising questions about efficiency versus adaptability.
• Algorithmic Management: The impact of technology-driven management systems on worker autonomy and job satisfaction.

📚 Recent Posts

• Navigating New Realms: Generative AI and Literacy Education - Insights from a webinar on generative AI and its implications for education.
• Unmasking AI: How Intelligence is Molded and the Traps it Conceals – A Review of ‘Atlas of AI’ - A critical review of Atlas of AI by Kate Crawford.
• Archiving Your WordPress Blog: A Smoother Transition to Obsidian with ChatGPT - A guide to migrating WordPress content into markdown with AI support.
• Leveraging Generative AI for STEAM Education: A Wicked Problem Assignment - How generative AI tools help address complex problems in STEAM education.
• Redefining Education – Equipping Students for a Complex Future - Reimagining the role of students as active participants in their learning journey.

📲 The Attention Economy

The "attention economy" reframes attention as a scarce resource in a world of abundant information. Economist Herbert A. Simon described attention as the "bottleneck of human thought," limiting our ability to perceive and act. His assertion that "a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention" resonates today. Explore.

In 1997, physicist Michael Goldhaber predicted a shift from material-based economies to attention-based systems, emphasizing that attention—not information—is scarce. Businesses have since adapted to exploit this scarcity, transforming how we consume content. Investigate further.

🪟 Deskilling

The process of deskilling simplifies complex work into repetitive tasks, centralizing knowledge among a select few while workers lose context. Understand deskilling.

danah boyd critiques AI's role in deskilling, cautioning about the balance between efficiency and skill preservation. Read more.

In response, Laura Hilliger argues that societal skills are evolving, with AI enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them. Dive into the discussion.

Algorithmic Management

Algorithmic management uses technology to oversee and direct workers, particularly in platform economies like Uber. While these systems promise efficiency, they often reduce job variety, autonomy, and satisfaction. Learn more.

Research highlights the negative effects of these systems, including unpredictability and a lack of worker agency, exacerbated by opaque algorithms. Go deeper.

🏹 Purpose and Value

As the eagle was killed by the arrow winged with his own feather, so the hand of the world is wounded by its own skill.
— Helen Keller

Reflect and Engage

• How do you manage your attention in a world designed to distract? Reflect in The Attention Economy.
• Are evolving skills truly replacing traditional ones, or is something being lost? Explore in Deskilling in the Age of AI.
• How does algorithmic management shape your work environment? Share insights in Algorithmic Management Challenges.

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