Jennifer and Jacques discuss how we are constantly distracted by new information coming in from our devices, which is draining our ability to focus, and think deeply and creatively. This has serious implications for collective sense-making and for our capacity to address threats to our wellbeing and survival.

References

Robert Colvile (2016) The Great Acceleration: How the world is getting faster, faster. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Jonathan Haidt (2023) ‘Get phones out of schools now’, The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/ban-smartphones-phone-...)

Johann Hari (2022) Stolen focus: Why you can’t pay attention. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Joshua Meyrowitz (1985) No sense of Place: the Impact of electronic media on social behaviour Oxford: Oxford University Press

Hartmut Rosa (2005/2013) Social Acceleration: A new theory of Modernity. New York: Columbia University Press

Soshana Zuboff (2019) The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. London: Profile Books Ltd.

New Community Journal (2018) vol. 16 (2) issue 62 Community Development + Social Media (order from ncq@borderlands.org.au; the editorial "the promises+ predicaments of the social media" offers a good overview of critical works discussing this issue)

Alan Kohler (The New Daily 4th February 2024) Social Media is Rewiring Humanity's central nervous system

Derek Thompson https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/12/cell-phones-student-test-scores-dropping/676889/