Primitive capitalism and attention vampires

Take a look at this wonderful video:

The phones and technology in general seems pretty advanced. But is it?

Let’s see.

How does information technology enable you to live a better life?

• you can talk to anyone

• you can see what other people are doing and be inspired

• you can collaborate

• you can learn anything

How does information technology make you non-productive?

• by browsing non-relevant topics

• by watching pointless, click-bait videos

• by wasting time in non-productive arguments

• by making you angry at the world

• by exploiting the dopamine responses in your brain to make you addicted

Much of the what out there is built on tapping into the primitive impulses of our brains. It exploits us by stimulating our brain with new stuff, suppressing deep thought. And without deep thought, there’s no conviction and no mind wandering that could lead to making something awesome.

Be aware of the primitive nature of the apps and websites out there. For many of them, the shareholder’s incentives go directly opposite to what the customer wants. Social media is optimized to get money from you, not make your life better.

This is a little nudge for you. Apps and social media are attention vampires and want to drain you. Will you let them?