Architects of our digital world
Stop.
Be better
because we can be
and we can see
that these systems have been designed with intricacy
so that companies can keep our attention indefinitely
I don’t want to keep crushing these freaking candies
I don’t want these alerts to completely command me
I don’t care if that panda bear is dancing…
Well maybe…
with a hula hoop?
Okay, this is fantastic
I have to share this with my 10 friends
and 10,000 strangers
Caption:
“Who wants to throw
a panda rager?!”
Great, let me go back about my life
for God sakes I’m trying to right-swipe my wife
Huh…
*Phone dings*
30 seconds and just two Facebook likes…
or is that just two for which I’ve been notified?
Let me go back and check inside
and see whose ‘Likes’ it tried to hide
they don’t show them all, I wonder why…?
haha this panda is dancing!
And another video plays after automatically
this one of a gopher
that ‘stage turns’ dramatically
it’s like my attention is kept systematically raptured
by algorithms that know exactly what I want!
Or not what I want…
just what I’ll watch.
And the people behind this intelligent design
genuinely want to better our lives
but their bonuses just so happen to be tied
to keeping Time on Site exceptionally high
And now even my news apps have been gamified
and what am I… NOT going to click
that one simple sex tip
guaranteed to blow her mind?!
Wait where was I?
And why have I forgotten to look for that thing I’m supposed to find?
And my God, look at the time!
It is shocking…
but somehow, yes, Netflix
I am still watching…
and I know I know…
I should have more self control.
but just to be clear…
you just spent a million dollars
telling me this story
designed to cut off at the end leaving me wanting more
See of COURSE I want to see what you have in store
see my cursor already waiting there
on the screen floor
as you tease the next hour in all of its glory
and you’ll give it to me
Unless I actively ABORT!
See it seems the decision’s already made for me
The countdown clock’s moving there it goes
5
4
3
I need to sleep…
but you made me want THIS more…
This is not what I consciously signed up for
when I hit play on one episode
6 hours ago…
Architects of our digital world
you have more data, information and control over our attention
the tools to tweak our emotions, so we’ll return to your experience
but is that what you should do?
or should you…
build digital tools so advanced
they can actually enhance the world outside the device in our hands
Can you add so much value…
That it helps us put our phones back in our pants
as fast as we possibly can
*phone buzzes*
Not time sucking, time GIVING innovation
That’s what it means to be truly technologically advanced
the future is not all screens…
It’s humanity enhanced.