351–360 of 523 posts
In a way, the hyperbolic title seems to be an prime example of its own thesis..
https://www.amazon.com/World-Beyond-Your-Head-Distraction/dp...
I've been coming to resent my smartphone more and more, essentially because of this. I recently quit using tobacco. I remembered all the warnings from my school health classes about how hard it was to quit once you start, how there's a physical dependence and all that. It was uncomfortable at times, and there were plenty of cravings to get over, but I was ultimately successful. I can compare this to the couple of tim…
For me this made using my phone enough of a hassle to break any habit I had. It's been a few months now and I have the password memorized, but I still almost never use my phone.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Corporate media like NYT and WashPo etc that writes things like you must be crazy to not believe there are WMDs in Iraq are not serious news sites. Rich != serious. And hegemonic news smearing all sources of independent journalism and grassroot progressive political movements is just about the opposite of the point of this article.
Like them or not, the NYT and WashPo do some of the best, factual investigative journalism in the world. Have they been wrong? Sure. But they have extremely high standards for publishing a story, so you can generally assume that they're accurate. They also are the ones who break a lot of the biggest, most impactful stories. I think a better criticism of them would be wash po turning a blind eye to Bezos and others th…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this is addressed in the article: > Isn’t it our own fault that we’re too easily distracted? Maybe we just need more self-discipline. > That kind of rhetoric implicitly grants the idea that it’s okay for technology to be adversarial against us. The whole point of technology is to help us do what we want to do better. Why else would we have it? ... > Does personal responsibility matter at all? > I don’t think…
Its funny because these points sound exactly like the ones I've heard made by former casino developers whom worked on any number of slot machines or video poker. In any case, I'd have to disagree and say that even though you can't escape ads or even 100% avoid the lure of electronic clicks and taps, its ultimately up to you to decide what you do with your time and money and if you cannot do this yourself, then you ne…
The biggest shocker is anyone actually believes in "free will" anymore. Although, the desire to limit a particular stimuli's influence over our actions seems valid. In a way, the hyperbolic title seems to be an prime example of its own thesis..
- What with "rising" health care costs, my employer has decided to "force" everyone into getting a series of physical tests, to include those for high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, and a fecal occult blood test. Failure to comply by year's end results in a financial penalty taken from your check twice monthly, totaling $600 annually, rising next year. My wife is also required to submit since she is on my insurance. She and I are both declining. That's $1200 a year in freewill money.
- What with, heaven forbid, people having actual rights to use tobacco, be it smoking, vaping, smokeless, whatever, my employer will be conducting cotinine (nicotine) tests. Failure to comply results in a penalty taken from your check twice monthly, totaling $600 annually, rising next year.
I will be taking the cotinine test, but then will enjoy nicotine as I am wont to do after passing the test. I'm a social smoker as many are. I don't smoke as a habit, but will not be denied the pleasure should I wish to enjoy it as the mood takes me.
The health care/insurance thing is a racket. All they want this info for is to black mark you, identify who the expensive souls will be and keep raising your rates. Insurance companies will eventually sell this data to prospective employers, who won't hire the expensive-to-ensure souls. I can only win by not playing the game.
To stay off the radar, I visit the indigent latin clinic and pay cash. I get prescriptions filled at the bodega around the corner.
Eventually, the cost will either be extraordinarily high money wise or I will be terminated. My freewill diktats will ensure I will likely go from being a gainfully-employed IT staffer to cutting grass with the illegals at some point. At least I will have by freewill and freedom.
For anyone interested in diving deeper into this topic, I highly recommend the book "The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction" by Matthew Crawford. Of all the books I've read this year, this one has stuck with me the most--it's a fascinating study on the attention environment & its influence on our notions of identity. https://www.amazon.com/World-Beyond-Your-Head-Distraction/dp.…
For anyone interested in further study of media's relationship to psychology and sociology, I cannot recommend enough Marshall Macluhan's writings and lectures. He may have been the first to argue that media is an extension of the human brain. Specifically, look up "The medium is the message" for videos of his central argument, or read "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man".
-Marshall McLuhan (p.73 of the 1966 Signet paperback edition)
That said, I do think the end of humanity will be via a primitive AI optimized to hold our attention at all costs. I just don't think we're there yet.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this is addressed in the article: > Isn’t it our own fault that we’re too easily distracted? Maybe we just need more self-discipline. > That kind of rhetoric implicitly grants the idea that it’s okay for technology to be adversarial against us. The whole point of technology is to help us do what we want to do better. Why else would we have it? ... > Does personal responsibility matter at all? > I don’t think…
Its funny because these points sound exactly like the ones I've heard made by former casino developers whom worked on any number of slot machines or video poker. In any case, I'd have to disagree and say that even though you can't escape ads or even 100% avoid the lure of electronic clicks and taps, its ultimately up to you to decide what you do with your time and money and if you cannot do this yourself, then you ne…
It seems like you implying people are 100% free agents independent of external influences and subconscious evolutionary drives?
>Just because a corporation has unlimited resources committed to targeting a person with ads or tappy and clicky stuff, it does not mean they should be held accountable for people's addictive habits or tendencies
Should alcohol, cigarette, and porn companies be allowed to target children?
Should opioid manufacturers be allowed to target recovering addicts?