Phrase of the day: Notorious learning
David Banks, writing in The Society Pages, talks about the rise of “notorious learning:" Notorious learning is the conspicuous consumption of information. It requires admitting ignorance of an
Meaning to Pause
This is an interesting concept, especially in an age when 95% of wearables assume that their job is to make you "better" (that is, more) connected, available, notified,
What do we want when we want silence? Thoughts on “Silence Is Now a Luxury Product”
"'Noise is the most impertinent of all forms of interruption,' groused the nineteenth-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. 'It is not only an interruption, but also a disruption of
How technologies are designed to commodify distraction
[This is the second of several posts drawing on my the talk I gave at the NAIS annual conference. The first is here.] How are technologies designed to distract
The need for a social approach to distraction
[This is a post drawing on my the talk I gave at the NAIS annual conference.] We use the term "distraction" in two broad ways. Both involve situations
A reminder to attendees at National People’s Congress
Rules issued in advance of the upcoming National People's Congress, via Quartz: Do not use your phones to send text messages or make phone calls during meeting; do not
“Technology supports the mind’s natural need to experience life through its own narrated version”
Psychotherapist and minister Nancy Colier asks "Are our devices training us to escape the moment?" The everyday mind, she argues, "wants to narrate our life, to tell the story
Evgeny Morozov on digital detoxes, and the need to rethink unplugging
Evgeny Morozov has a short critical piece in The New Republic about digital detoxes, mindfulness and technology. I think the swipe at mindfulness is on the shallow side,
New article on binge-watching, and questions for those who want to share
I've got a piece on binge-watching in the latest issue of Slate. In that piece, I mention that I've been doing interviews with people about their viewing habits.
Design, distraction, and doctor-patient relationships
Electronic health records (EHRs) have been around for a few years. You've probably seen them, or at least seen a doctor access them: at my doctor's office every