We often share our thoughts about Big Tech and its abuses, especially about social media. But, there is another tech-related issue that we don’t discuss as much—what I’ll call the “shallowness of speed” in journalism and news consumption. I ran across this article on Medium.
You’ll have to be a member to read it, but for those who are, it is a great read. Although I tirelessly avoid app subscriptions wherever possible, I have no issue subscribing to quality content; therefore, I happily pay the membership fee for Medium.
in the age of the attention economy, there is perhaps no greater act of rebellion — no better means to claim back your autonomy and purpose — than slowing down and thinking.
There probably are Medium subscribers here, but if this forum is supposed to be for discussion, what’s the point of posting a link only a few people can read? This forum doesn’t operate the way any other forum I have visited works though. Usually people promoting their blogs or posting articles behind paywalls is frowned upon, but it is commonplace here. I know, if I don’t like it, I know where I can go…
It’s so easy to get caught up in a news cycle that says nothing useful or memorable. Weekly, monthly, quarterly are more balanced reporting cadences for me.
I do miss getting a good newspaper delivered and that my children haven’t really grown up with that.
I remember it being said many decades ago, when people were moving to watching network TV new from reading newspapers, that the contents of an entire newscast would fit in a single page of a newspaper.
Luckily there are still some newspapers with healthy staffs with in depth articles, and there are new aggregator apps to help see both (or multiple) sides of the story.
I may be misunderstanding you, or you, me. This is not my article nor am I promoting anything other than a discussion of how tech can and, in many instances has, ruined journalism and our ability to think versus merely skimming. As to Medium, many of the articles are public and do not require a membership. The article I linked to does require a membership, and I made that clear. And, as @Medievalist points out, the article is available with a free membership. I believe it is worth reading for those who care to read it with a free or a paid membership. And, per your request, I shared quotes from the article.
Again, I apologize if my post frustrates you. That is never my intent.
I didn’t read the article, but I have a few what I hope are related comments. First, I think less is more when it comes to news media. I feel like I learn a [a bit] more about anything when I read a book about it than when I am approaching it from a more immediate journalistic perspective. (Not trying to be critical of journalists/journalism; just making an argument for depth over breadth.) And with the media, I feel like I learn from long-form journalism > newspapers > tv news > social media because of the format. Each of the newer formats are a little “quicker” and convey less information in a shorter amount of time, but their more instantaneous nature seems more seductive.
And there is a way to connect Big Tech, and perhaps specifically Apple, @Bmosbacker. I think notifications (which are often from news apps) are pretty counterproductive unless micromanaged. Some of us do that, but it’s a chore; it’s work; it requires attention. What really irks me is that when you install and then open a new app on an iPhone, the first thing it typically asks you is whether you want to allow notifications. And I think a lot of people just allow them without thinking about it.
I teach at a university, and this semester I decided to casually survey my students to see if they were familiar with Apple’s Focus Mode feature. Pretty much every student in my course has an iPhone; as far as I can tell, nobody had ever heard of or was aware of Focus Mode. I tried to sell them on setting up a scheduled “in class” Focus Mode, but that didn’t really go anywhere, so perhaps I’ll bring a more structured approach to this in the future.
I agree; while perusing and skimming have their place and are sometimes necessary, understanding and perspective are more often gleaned from longer articles that require time, thought, and focus. Headline skimming and doom-scrolling articles fed by algorithms are impediments to understanding and perspective.
The article I posted about included a link to Delayed Gratification, which is what they call slow journalism. I’m reading a few articles to see what I think.
I have not found dealing with notifications too much of a chore. If a new app asks me to allow notifications, I always say no. I only allow four notifications on my devices: Calendar, Reminders, severe weather alerts, and from our school security system. I also do not allow badges.
It is amazing how many people do not know about their devices’ basic features. Recently, I explained to several colleagues in my office how to turn on Silence Unknown Callers. They had no idea this was possible. But I do not want to be too judgmental. There are a lot of tech features and skills that I know little or nothing about.
As to Focus Mode, I’ve set a location shortcut that turns on and off Focus when I arrive and leave church. I also have a reading and writing focus mode. It is a great feature!
One thing I have done from time to time over the past few years, when I’ve felt myself spending too much time chasing the latest latest news (), is to only read the news in a digital print edition. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal both have digital print editions of their papers that are included in the subscription. It’s less clear in the case of the New York Times if it’s included or a separate subscription for its “replica edition.” I’m sure other papers have something similar. But I think this in line with the idea of slow media, avoiding toxic comment sections, turning away from algorithmic echo-chambers, and so forth.
