> I think there's an accessible middle ground for most people.
It doesn't even need to be a middle ground. Even the least effort is
enough.
Think about smoking, drinking and other risky behaviour.
I make a similar plea and argument in Digital Vegan [1] as is made in
the blog post. Like plenty of other thinkers now (Newport, Doctorow,
Kingsnorth, Vaidhyanathan, Kardaras, Tufekci, Rushkoff, Lanier, Véliz
and Oddell) I framed surveillance capitalism, social media and
smartphone addiction as a public health issue. This is now the
dominant emerging frame.
People who use drugs and alcohol use the same sunk-cost fallacy:
"Hey, I've been doing this for years now, what's the point in
quitting?"
The point is that ANY reduction offers an immediate health benefit.
You don't have to become an Olympic athlete to eat a little healthier
and exercise a tiny bit more.
By the same token, any improvement to your digital lifestyle is worth
making - whether that's refusing to give personal data, not
participating in the "cashless" society, buying quality, durable
digital goods that reduce e-waste, getting a dumb phone or quitting
social media... they all count.
That's why I think the diet metaphor is very powerful.
> any improvement to your digital lifestyle is worth making
>> Are they, though?
Yes
>> What tangible benefit does one actually get from refusing to give
out personal data one doesn't care about?
Being loved and respected, and more successful in life. People who
care about themselves are generally better liked and so gain social
advantages. Self-care does not mean being selfish. If you treat
yourself like someone you are responsible for, others see that you are
the kind of person who can care for them too.
You should care about every part of your person, including your data,
as if it were your literal personal hygiene.
It doesn't even need to be a middle ground. Even the least effort is enough.
Think about smoking, drinking and other risky behaviour.
I make a similar plea and argument in Digital Vegan [1] as is made in the blog post. Like plenty of other thinkers now (Newport, Doctorow, Kingsnorth, Vaidhyanathan, Kardaras, Tufekci, Rushkoff, Lanier, Véliz and Oddell) I framed surveillance capitalism, social media and smartphone addiction as a public health issue. This is now the dominant emerging frame.
People who use drugs and alcohol use the same sunk-cost fallacy:
"Hey, I've been doing this for years now, what's the point in quitting?"
The point is that ANY reduction offers an immediate health benefit. You don't have to become an Olympic athlete to eat a little healthier and exercise a tiny bit more.
By the same token, any improvement to your digital lifestyle is worth making - whether that's refusing to give personal data, not participating in the "cashless" society, buying quality, durable digital goods that reduce e-waste, getting a dumb phone or quitting social media... they all count.
That's why I think the diet metaphor is very powerful.
[1] https://digitalvegan.net