Connectivity and Sensitivity, and the difference between the two
I'm curious about the idea of resisting the attention economy.
So when I spotted the book "How to Do nothing - resisting the attention economy by Jenny Odell" at Camberwell Market, I bought it for the bargain price of $5.
Today I read about the concept of Connectivity vs Sensitivity in the opening chapter (not that the two were necessarily presented as being diametrically opposed to each other.)
Jenny conveyed the sense that:
- Connectivity is more to do with the need to share - favoured by online platforms.
- Sensitivity is more to do with an in-person conversation - which requires time (though time could be too expensive nowadays).
I hope that is a fair representation of what Jenny is presenting (and if not please do tell me so).
I liked this phrase in the book that says "As the body disappears, so does our ability to empathize."
With the majority of my extended family living overseas, I constantly struggle with how to maintain a close relationship in the absence of the body physically being there.
Sharing highlights of my daughters' lives on Instagram seems like breadcrumbs in comparison to the real thing. Is this still better than nothing? Or does it give a false sense of connection, whereas if I was without social media at all, I may in fact reach out with a personal message that gives more than a headline encounter?
Something I'm secretly scared of is that I have lost touch of what it means to have an in-depth conversation. Where you sit in the presence of someone and feel gifted with their presence, attention and gentle energy. The best conversations I've had, have been in the wee hours of the night when I was in my twenties, talking around a campfire where there is no phone and no distractions.
So many misunderstandings have occurred online, simply because the body has disappeared.
Something I'm wrestling with, as of late.