Great read. Capitalism has created a culture of filling every second of your day with “something.” It’s exhausting just to think about. I find it fascinating that all of human progress, including technology, has allowed us to accomplish more in less time. Technology allows us to do this exponentially. But when do we stop? Do we stop when we want? Historically, the trend shows that we aren’t capable of stopping. Companies spend billions of dollars on studying human behavior just so they can create a new feature or product that captures a few more seconds of attention that they can sell to advertisers. Society, at least in “westernized” cultures, has been built from the ground up with this methodology. It’s in the roots of everything we do. This isn’t the mindset we were born with. This is the mindset we were sold. Have a comfortable life, but we’ll control every aspect of it. I think it’s about time that we push for the mindset that we want. Create the products and features that aren’t good for business. Create a world where we don’t have all of our time, energy, and wealth being spent on things we aren’t in control of. To your point, create, not consume. There is no way of consuming your way out of a situation you don’t like. You have to create and carve out the path that you want to take.
thanks for this thoughtful comment, desi! i appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work :)
i absolutely agree that capitalism has created this culture of constant productivity and engagement, where every second must be monetized or "optimized" somehow. it's exhausting, and i think that's why so many of us are feeling burned out.
where i might see things a bit differently is on the creating products/features part. i don't think doing good for business and doing good for people are necessarily mutually exclusive. ethical, thoughtful technology can actually be tremendously profitable. look at how many people are willing to pay for ad free experiences or privacy focused tools.
i believe we're entering an era where consumers are becoming more aware and discerning about how technology affects them. companies that prioritize user wellbeing and privacy might actually gain a competitive advantage as people grow increasingly frustrated with manipulative design. it's similar to how sustainable and ethical products have carved out profitable market niches despite initially seeming "bad for business."
but you're so right that we can't consume our way out of this situation. we have to be active participants in creating the environment we want to live in, whether that's through our boundaries, the products we choose to support, or pushing for more regulation around data privacy and manipulative design.
+ your point about creating the mindset we want rather than accepting the one we've been sold really resonates with me. that's exactly what digital minimalism is about, reclaiming agency in a system designed to take it away.
Great read. Capitalism has created a culture of filling every second of your day with “something.” It’s exhausting just to think about. I find it fascinating that all of human progress, including technology, has allowed us to accomplish more in less time. Technology allows us to do this exponentially. But when do we stop? Do we stop when we want? Historically, the trend shows that we aren’t capable of stopping. Companies spend billions of dollars on studying human behavior just so they can create a new feature or product that captures a few more seconds of attention that they can sell to advertisers. Society, at least in “westernized” cultures, has been built from the ground up with this methodology. It’s in the roots of everything we do. This isn’t the mindset we were born with. This is the mindset we were sold. Have a comfortable life, but we’ll control every aspect of it. I think it’s about time that we push for the mindset that we want. Create the products and features that aren’t good for business. Create a world where we don’t have all of our time, energy, and wealth being spent on things we aren’t in control of. To your point, create, not consume. There is no way of consuming your way out of a situation you don’t like. You have to create and carve out the path that you want to take.
thanks for this thoughtful comment, desi! i appreciate you taking the time to read and engage with my work :)
i absolutely agree that capitalism has created this culture of constant productivity and engagement, where every second must be monetized or "optimized" somehow. it's exhausting, and i think that's why so many of us are feeling burned out.
where i might see things a bit differently is on the creating products/features part. i don't think doing good for business and doing good for people are necessarily mutually exclusive. ethical, thoughtful technology can actually be tremendously profitable. look at how many people are willing to pay for ad free experiences or privacy focused tools.
i believe we're entering an era where consumers are becoming more aware and discerning about how technology affects them. companies that prioritize user wellbeing and privacy might actually gain a competitive advantage as people grow increasingly frustrated with manipulative design. it's similar to how sustainable and ethical products have carved out profitable market niches despite initially seeming "bad for business."
but you're so right that we can't consume our way out of this situation. we have to be active participants in creating the environment we want to live in, whether that's through our boundaries, the products we choose to support, or pushing for more regulation around data privacy and manipulative design.
+ your point about creating the mindset we want rather than accepting the one we've been sold really resonates with me. that's exactly what digital minimalism is about, reclaiming agency in a system designed to take it away.