Exploring the rise of 'slowness culture' and its potential for better living. Discussing Jenny Odell's work, reclaiming time, and the implications of an individual's commitment to leisure on the collective level. Exploring the paradox of slowness in a fast-paced world and the concept of public napping. Delving into the historical perspective of attention and critique of modernity. Connecting slowness to the labor movement and the importance of reclaiming humanness.
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The Paradox of Slowness Culture
Slowness culture paradoxically exists within the self-improvement sphere, which typically emphasizes hard work and productivity.
It encourages rest and slowing down, contrasting with the typical self-improvement narrative.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Millennial Burnout
Millennials initially embraced hustle culture but later experienced burnout, leading to a desire for slowness.
Anne Helen Petersen's work captured this shift in attitude.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Commodification of Naps
Alexandra Schwartz discusses the rise of nap pods and napping spaces as part of the commodification of slowness.
She notes the irony of scheduled, paid naps within a culture promoting rest.
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In recent years, in the realms of self-improvement literature, Instagram influencers, and wellness gurus, an idea has taken hold: that in a non-stop world, the act of slowing down offers a path to better living. In this episode of Critics at Large, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz trace the rise of “slowness culture”—from Carl Honoré’s 2004 manifesto to pandemic-era trends of mass resignations and so-called quiet quitting. The hosts discuss the work of Jenny Odell, whose books “How to Do Nothing” and “Saving Time” frame reclaiming one’s time as a life-style choice with radical roots and revolutionary political potential. But how much does an individual’s commitment to leisure pay off on the level of the collective? Is too much being laid at the feet of slowness? “For me, it’s about reclaiming an aspect of humanness, just the experience of not having to make the most with everything we have all the time,” Schwartz says. “There can be a degree of self-defeating critique where you say, ‘Oh, well, this is only accessible to the privileged few.’ And I think the better framing is, how can more people access that kind of sitting with humanness?”
Critics at Large | The New Yorker