Michael Sacasas, author of The Convivial Society, discusses the role of technology in shaping our existence, the importance of attention and its various forms, the pitfalls of Twitter, how technology reframes our reality, and the three most important questions regarding our use of technology.
Our use of technology shapes our perception of the world and our existence.
Attention should be framed as an act of care and openness to the world, not just as a scarce commodity to be optimized.
Deep dives
The Impact of Technology on Our Perception
The podcast episode explores the idea that our devices have narrowed our vision and diminished our experience of the world, making the argument that virtual reality could be seen as just as good, or even better than, our current reality. This is due to the fact that our attention has been so narrowly focused on screens that we may have lost sight of the wonder and beauty of the world around us. The episode suggests that if we have already willingly impoverished our experience of reality, then the idea of a virtual world as an alternative may seem more plausible.
The Influence of Tools on Our Perception
The guest, Michael Saccasus, discusses how technology shapes our interactions with the world by mediating our perception. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing that we are fundamentally embodied creatures, and that the tools we use to interface between our bodies and the world become significant. Saccasus also highlights the value of paying attention to how technology affects our habits, postures, and attentiveness, in order to understand its impact on our perception of reality.
The Ethical Dimension of Attention
The concept of attention is explored in relation to technology. The guest argues that attention is not just about focus or optimization, but also about being fully present and engaged with others and the world around us. The episode emphasizes the moral imperative of giving attention to others and cultivating habits of attentiveness. It also challenges the dominant discourse that treats attention as a scarce commodity to be optimized and suggests that attention should be framed as an act of care and openness to the world.
The Devil's Bargain of Twitter and Virtual Reality
The guest discusses the positive and negative aspects of using Twitter. While Twitter can facilitate connections, exposure, and learning, it also has a compulsive draw that can be distracting and detrimental to attention. Furthermore, the guest critiques the idea that virtual reality could be a better alternative to our current reality. They argue that rather than embracing virtual reality as an escape, we should focus on improving our lived experience by creating more equitable, just, and meaningful communities.
This week we welcome Michael Sacasas, author of The Convivial Society, a newsletter about technology and society. Michael is the associate director of the Christian Study Center of Gainesville and has written for The New Atlantis, The New Inquiry, Comment Magazine, and Real Life Magazine. He is also the author of a forthcoming book 41 Questions: Technology and the Moral Life (Avid Reader Press).
In this thought provoking episode we invite all our listeners to reconsider the place of technology in their own lives. We discuss:
the role of technology in our lives and how the way that we use tools shapes our experience of the world, and by extension our existence
attention, it's importance and its various forms
why Twitter for Michael is a deal with the devil
how, even out of the Metaverse, technology reframes our reality
the three most important questions everyone should ask of the way that they use technology
If you enjoyed our previous conversations with Oliver Burkeman, Nicholas Carr and Krista Tippett, then this episode is for you.
This episode is part of our series on "Self", where we explore how our technology impacts some of the most important aspects of being human. Recent episodes include Krista Tippett, creator on On Being, Susie Alegre, human rights lawyer and author of 'Freedom to Think' and upcoming episdoes include Jillian Horton MD, and author of 'We are All Perfectly Fine', Casey Swartz, author of "Attention, A Love Story" and Sharath Jeevan OBE, motivation expert and author of "Intrinsic". Our goal: to help all our listeners to think more critically about the role of technology in our lives, and how it shapes who we are.