Urbanists.Social

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Marcel KolderSoms is zelfzorg zo simpel als: ontvolgen. Niet omdat je de wereld niet aankan, maar omdat je haar helderder wil zien. Over mentale hygiëne, informatie-ecosystemen en het recht op rust.Lees mijn nieuwste blog: “De kunst van het ontvolgen, mentale zelfzorg in tijden van informatie-overvloed”<a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/mentalezelfzorg" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#mentalezelfzorg</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/digitalehygi%C3%ABne" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#digitalehygiëne</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/mediawijsheid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#mediawijsheid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/aandachtseconomie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#aandachtseconomie</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/kanteldenken" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#kanteldenken</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/zelfregie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#zelfregie</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/nieuwsmoeheid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#nieuwsmoeheid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/socialmediawijsheid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#socialmediawijsheid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/rustisverzet" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#rustisverzet</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/attentioneconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentioneconomy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.nl/tags/mindfulscrollen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#mindfulscrollen</a><a href="https://kanteldenker.wordpress.com/2025/04/06/de-kunst-van-het-ontvolgen-mentale-zelfzorg-in-tijden-van-informatie-overvloed/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://kanteldenker.wordpress.com/2025/04/06/de-kunst-van-het-ontvolgen-mentale-zelfzorg-in-tijden-van-informatie-overvloed/</a>

Amarillo NgoziI feel like quitting social media, because I’ve finally realized that the less I use social media, the more mental space, focus and clarity I have for the other areas in my life that go neglected when I spend time scrolling. While social media has benefits I’m not sure if it pays off. My mind exists in a purgatory on this, I feel pulled in two directions. I’d love you hear others thoughts on the matter. I should create a decision matrix and see what the results are.<a href="https://veganism.social/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="https://veganism.social/tags/attentioneconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentioneconomy</a> <a href="https://veganism.social/tags/quitmeta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#quitmeta</a>

Thinking MunkThe influencer president. | <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/@destiny" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@destiny</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Influencer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Influencer</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Media</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Politics</a>

Miguel Afonso Caetano"I'm not saying that it's a sin to read an algorithmic feed, but relying on algorithmic feeds is a recipe for feeling empty, and regretful of your misspent attention. This is true even when the algorithm is good at its job, as with Tiktok, whose whole appeal is to take your hands off the wheel and give total control over to the autopilot. Even when an algorithm makes many good guesses about what you'll like, seeing something you like isn't as nice, as pleasing, as useful, as seeing that same thing as the result of someone else's intention.And, of course, once you let the app drive, you become a soft target for the cupidity and deceptions of the app's makers. Tiktok, for example, uses its "heating tool" to selectively boost things into your feed – not because they think you'll like it, but because they want to trick the person whose content they're boosting into thinking that Tiktok is a good place to distribute their work through:"<a href="https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/19/gimme-five/#jeffty" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/19/gimme-five/#jeffty</a><a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Email" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Email</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/RSS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RSS</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/Algorithms" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Algorithms</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/AlgorithmicFeeds" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AlgorithmicFeeds</a> <a href="https://tldr.nettime.org/tags/AlgorithmicRecommendation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AlgorithmicRecommendation</a>

Toni AittoniemiVery good points being made in this interview!Trump and Musk are the results, not the cause.They are the types of people who rise to the top in the hyper-fast, hyper-competitive, algortihm-driven attention economy.And if we don’t replace this attention economy with something better, it’s just going to keep churning out even worse Donalds and Elons!<a href="https://mastodon.green/tags/attentioneconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentioneconomy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.green/tags/trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#trump</a> <a href="https://mastodon.green/tags/musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#musk</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OauPxsxuW1NU29D4GZ8kA" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OauPxsxuW1NU29D4GZ8kA</a>

𝚛𝚊𝚝.. <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/collaboration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#collaboration</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/cooperation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cooperation</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/coop" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#coop</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/competition" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#competition</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/sectarianism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#sectarianism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/imperialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#imperialism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/them" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#them</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/us" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#us</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/usa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#usa</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/uk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#uk</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/disuk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#disuk</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/fvey" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#fvey</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/israel" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#israel</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/greaterisrael" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#greaterisrael</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/modernism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#modernism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/postmodernism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#postmodernism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/postpostmodernism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#postpostmodernism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/surrealism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#surrealism</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/attentioneconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentioneconomy</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/bigpharma" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#bigpharma</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/prison" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#prison</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/prisonindustrialcomplex" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#prisonindustrialcomplex</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/military" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#military</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/militaryindustrialcomplex" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#militaryindustrialcomplex</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/media" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#media</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/baron" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#baron</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/princess" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#princess</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/thewarmachine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#thewarmachine</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/debt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#debt</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/destruction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#destruction</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/need" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#need</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/greed" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#greed</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/want" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#want</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/happiness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#happiness</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/thepursuitofhappiness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#thepursuitofhappiness</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j800SVeiS5I" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j800SVeiS5I</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/isolation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#isolation</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/asylum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#asylum</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/reality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#reality</a> <a href="https://social.sdf.org/tags/realpolitik" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#realpolitik</a> <a href="https://crass.bandcamp.com/album/the-feeding-of-the-5000" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://crass.bandcamp.com/album/the-feeding-of-the-5000</a> ..

Emeritus Prof Christopher MayIf the Court of the Tangerine Tyrant thrives on attention, then he & his courtiers must be loving this week.... his actions & threats have prompted multiple editorials in news sources, so many news stories, reams of analysis, social media arguments and so much more.In the attention economy, he has our attention; and if that's what he want's we have willingly given it to him right away (and of course I'm not excluding myself).<a href="https://zirk.us/tags/politics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#politics</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trump</a>

Games at Work dot bize499 with Michael and Michael - all about <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AI</a> with <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DeepSeek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DeepSeek</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/coldstart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#coldstart</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hallucinations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#hallucinations</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/BerlinWall" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BerlinWall</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a>, <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/IntentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#IntentionEconomy</a> and a whole lot more!<a href="https://gamesatwork.biz/2025/02/03/e499-seeking-data/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://gamesatwork.biz/2025/02/03/e499-seeking-data/</a>

wyvernsroseThe 2025 Attention Economy: Why Focus Is the New Superpower (And How to Regain It)Continue reading on Medium » <a href="https://medium.com/@cmzoboroski/the-2025-attention-economy-560edd412350?source=rss------mentalhealth-5&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@cmzoboroski/the-2025-attention-economy-560edd412350?source=rss------mentalhealth-5&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Focus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Focus</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/MentalHealth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#MentalHealth</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Productivity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Productivity</a> <a href="https://aus.social/tags/Mindfulness" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Mindfulness</a>

Coach Pāṇini ®The grifters are so brazen because they think and believe people aren’t paying attention.And y’know what, they’re right.PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.Normies have their heads stuck in the sand, because paying attention produces anxiety, and who needs more of that.<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a>

Nonilexif you just keep the camera rolling, something interesting is bound to happen.<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trump</a>, already the biggest star that <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a> has ever seen, is now onstage, in the director’s chair, & at the ticket booth at the same time. He also understood that the <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a> had shifted toward these celebrities &, apparently on the advice of his son Barron, spent much of his campaign talking to the masters of the algorithm.<a href="https://masto.ai/tags/propaganda" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#propaganda</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/Trumpaganda" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Trumpaganda</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/BigTech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BigTech</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/broligarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#broligarchy</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/technocracy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#technocracy</a> <a href="https://masto.ai/tags/USpol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#USpol</a>

Travis F W<a href="https://cosocial.ca/@virtuous_sloth" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@virtuous_sloth</a> good one <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/attentionEconomics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentionEconomics</a> <a href="https://fosstodon.org/tags/attentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#attentionEconomy</a> de- paywalled: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20250122151940/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/attention-valuable-resource/681221/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20250122151940/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/01/attention-valuable-resource/681221/</a>

The RealistsMy Sandboxed “Candy Bar” Phone: Curbing Distractions and Safeguarding Privacy<a href="https://therealists.org/?p=8124" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://therealists.org/?p=8124</a>Have you ever developed a habit over the years that has become second nature to you? But then a friend notices it and you have to explain it in detail… and you realize your habit is totally unusual and a bit quirky?Dear Realists, I have that quirky habit. Well, one of many I suppose. And I’d love to tell you about it because it could inspire you to have a more mindful relationship with your phones – with a big added bonus: increasing your privacy.I have one main phone for essential communications – and a separate, sandboxed, mostly empty smartphone whose only purpose is to hold distracting apps (by companies I don’t trust with my private data).This system is saving me SO MUCH TIME and giving me peace of mind. I couldn’t do things any other way.We need to talk about privilegeThis is a first world problems story, the kind I can tell only because I can afford to purchase certain electronic gadgets. I am fully aware of this and I want to get this issue immediately out of the way.The system I found ranges in price from 0 dollars (yay) to 500 dollars (ouch). You probably already have all you need to implement it: an old feature phone or an old smartphone gathering dust in a drawer – in that case, my system will be completely FREE to you. The 500 dollars cost refers to the idea of you buying a brand new smartphone to set up this system, but chances are, you won’t have to.The Two Phones System: How It StartedUp until late October 2022, the only active social media account I was using was Twitter. I had deactivated Facebook and Instagram following the 2016 elections and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Analytica" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cambridge Analytica</a> scandal and never looked back.I had not foreseen the scenario where a billionaire mercurial agent of chaos would buy up my favorite social network and immediately get to dismantle it, turning it into a glorified $8chan. RIP dear Twitter. But what to do now to stay in touch with friends and contacts who live far away? I had to reluctantly re-activate my Instagram account (since sadly, 99.9% of my friends are not on <a href="https://mastodon.social/@_elena" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mastodon</a>).Installing a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Platforms" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Meta</a>-owned product on my main smartphone was an instant hard no. I would never in a million years allow Meta to scrape my address book, have access to my photos and videos, my movements around the city or my microphone. Yes, I know you can set strict restrictions with Apple iOS but I still don’t trust Meta with my data. Leaks are inevitable. Especially since you have to allow camera and microphone access to post to Instagram Stories. I had to find another way.So what did I do? I “resurrected” an old phone, wiped all its data, created a new Apple ID for it… and installed Instagram on it. And then Threads… and finally the New York Times and Washington Post apps because I found I was opening them for distraction and escapism and I didn’t want them on my main phone anymore.This alt phone’s front and back cameras are covered by washi tape and its lighting port has a special dongle that cuts off the microphone. It doesn’t have a SIM card, so it only works at home, with WiFi. And again, it has a brand new Apple ID, so none of my main phone’s photos or videos or contacts sync with it. a photo showing two phones on a small round white table: my main phone on the left and a second phone on the right inside a box, with a dongle I call this second device my “candy bar” phone: it holds distracting apps I don’t want on my main phone. It’s something I use only sporadically and at home, in small doses. Like sweets, if I were to consume too much of it I would start feeling sick. So a small occasional treat it is.In praise of realistic tech habitsI’m a big proponent of adopting habits that are accessible and realistic to maintain over the long term.I have read so many <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/06/technology/smartphone-addiction-flip-phone.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">essays from tech reporters</a> and thought leaders that extoll the virtues of ditching a smartphone in favor of a “dumb” or feature phone. There are even <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/564450/how-to-break-up-with-your-phone-by-catherine-price/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bestselling books</a> devoted to this idea.In an ideal world I too would “break up with my smartphone.” But I can’t. I have a small child at the crèche and aging parents that live in a different country. The crèche sends messages with photo attachments via Apple’s iMessage; my parents and I communicate via Signal and FaceTime because texting or calling them on their cell phones would be prohibitively expensive. I can’t ditch my smartphone.But now, with my system, my main phone is as close to a feature phone as it gets. It only holds messaging and productivity and navigation apps. The second “candy bar” phone is always left behind at home; it sits on a shelf and I tend to use it very early in the morning or late at night, when my child is asleep. A win for my concentration AND data privacy.The only inconvenience I can think of: when friends or acquaintances message me via Instagram DM making plans to meet up, I always need to remind them that the phone with Instagram is my “burner phone” that stays home and I only look at it sporadically. It’s useless for time-sensitive communications because most of the time it’s not with me.Let’s talk about time and moneyYou may think: I’m intrigued but your system is so cumbersome and expensive to set up!Well, not really.The time factor: 30 minutes or less.All you have to do is create a separate Apple ID with a different email address (5 minutes), download “distracting” apps onto the second “candy bar” phone and log in… and you’re good to go.The money factor: 0 dollars to 70 dollars as the cheapest setup.This system could be totally FREE for you, if you repurposed an old smartphone or an old feature phone.I bet that you or your parents may still have an old Nokia or Motorola phone sitting somewhere around the house. PSA: I bet it still works! I gave my old <a href="https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_8210-19.php" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nokia 8210</a> to my mom and she used it for nearly 20 YEARS. She only gave it up when the whole family adopted iPhones and it was easier to share photos and messages that way. But technically it still works.You don’t have an old feature phone or an old smartphone to set up this two phone system? You could get a brand new Nokia phone (average cost: 50-70 dollars) and use it as your main phone… and turn your current smartphone into the “sandboxed” candy bar phone I mentioned.Nokia feature phones have incredible batteries, so this would be a small investment that could last a decade or more.The Sandboxed Candy Bar Smartphone Prison (optional, $38) My “candy bar” smartphone and its Timer Phone Locker You have a sandboxed candy bar phone and you still use it too much. What to do now?Put it in “prison”.As I explained in last week’s post “<a href="https://newsletter.therealists.org/the-in-betweeners/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The In-betweeners</a>” I am online for only half the day and when I’m with my child my devices are off or put away. Well, during the six or so precious hours I can work, when my little one is at the crèche, I typically have the sandboxed “candy bar phone” within reach. I’m pretty good at keeping it at bay, but I must confess that, during moments of weakness, I end up scrolling Threads or Mastodon for far longer than I should.I needed to find a way to curb my phone use even more. So I bought a “prison” for it.I found on Amazon a “<a href="https://www.idiskk.com/idiskk_new/content/?226.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">phone locker box</a>” from Diskk (price: $38) that imprisons my phone for however long I wish. It comes with a built in timer and an ingenious lock mechanism. It’s a bit on the cheesy side – there are two sentences engraved in white at the bottom of the box, that read “Lock my phone” and “Lock my dream” (major eye roll on the second one). But it does its job wonderfully.I put my candy bar phone in the locker box, close the lid, set a timer… then I double-click on the lock button and the display shows a 10 second countdown (it is still possible to cancel the phone “imprisonment” during this countdown). Then the lock activates with a small sound… and it is impossible to remove the smartphone from it – unless I were to break the box with a tool. If I wanted to, I could even put my main phone in there, as there are carefully cut holes at the top and bottom that allow you to answer emergency calls, if you put your phone in face up.Ultimately, borrowing concepts from James Williams’ powerful book <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/stand-out-of-our-light/3F8D7BA2C0FE3A7126A4D9B73A89415D" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Stand Out of Our Light</a>, you could say that this system allows me to align my life goals with my tech use. I use tech… but I’m not used by it. Which is the whole mission of <a href="https://therealists.org/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Realists</a>.I’m curious to hear if you have a system in place to curb your smartphone use. Please share your comments below.Thanks as always for being here.<a href="https://elenarossini.com/links/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elena</a><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/apps/" target="_blank">#apps</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/attention/" target="_blank">#attention</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/attention-economy/" target="_blank">#attentionEconomy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/distractions/" target="_blank">#distractions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/guides/" target="_blank">#guides</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/how-to/" target="_blank">#howTo</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/meta/" target="_blank">#Meta</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/social-media/" target="_blank">#socialMedia</a>

The RealistsThe French Government’s Push to Curb Children’s Screen Time<a href="https://therealists.org/?p=8104" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://therealists.org/?p=8104</a>It’s hard to believe but there are many things we deemed normal in the 1980s and 1990s that went through government regulations and are outlawed in the present day.People in their 30s and 40s may still remember smelling cigarette smoke in airplane cabins – onboard smoking was allowed until the late 1990s. It’s fascinating how there are still ashtrays and “no smoking” signs on virtually all planes to this day. (Some trivia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflight_smoking" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the European Union banned smoking on planes in 1997 but AirFrance allowed it till the year 2000</a>).When I was a small child people in Italy rode in cars without seatbelts: they only became mandatory in 1989! I still remember the uproar over it, even though I was really small. I have a distinct memory of news reports showing defiant people in Napoli who wore white t-shirts with a diagonal black stripe that mimicked a seatbelt – because they didn’t want to wear one.When I was a young adult I would wash my hair nearly every day because smoking was allowed inside restaurants, bars and clubs. I remember smelling like an ashtray after I hung out in public places. Smoking indoors was ultimately banned across the European Union in the mid-late 2000s.The End of the Wild West Era of the Web?The World Wide Web was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989 while he was at CERN. It was opened to the public in 1991. Even if it is already 33-years-old, we are arguably still in the “Wild West Era” of the Web – with no consequential regulations for tech platforms or device manufacturers.The French Government wants to change all that and pioneer regulations that rein in screen time and access to addictive platforms for children and young adults.In January 2024 French President Emmanuel Macron set up a special commission of experts from “civil society” (psychiatrists, neurologists, educators, researchers and internet experts) with the goal of studying the effects of screen time and internet use on children and adolescents. The goal? To create a report with recommendations about best practices – and possibly new legislation.The panel of experts worked for 3 months, doing research and interviewing other experts in the field – as well as over 150 children and adolescents. Earlier this week the task force delivered the report to the President and released it online for all to see. If you are interested in it, you could download it from the Elysée’s website (<a href="https://www.elysee.fr/admin/upload/default/0001/16/fbec6abe9d9cc1bff3043d87b9f7951e62779b09.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PDF in French</a>). The title of the report is a nod to a Proust novel: “In search of lost time.” This made me think of what founders of the British association <a href="https://smartphonefreechildhood.co.uk/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Smartphone Free Childhood</a> often say: “smartphones rob children of their childhood. Even harmless content isn’t harmless. Time spent on a device is time not spent with other children; playing, exploring, interacting and developing vital social skills.”Expert RecommendationsSome highlights from the report and its recommendations – which have been making headlines in France all week:<ul><li value="1">no screen time whatsoever until the age of 3</li><li value="2">from 3 to 6 years of age: very limited screen time – occasional, with educational content and accompanied by an adult</li><li value="3">no smartphones before the age of 11</li><li value="4">from 11 years of age: phones that are not connected to the internet</li><li value="5">from 13 years of age: smartphones connected to the internet but without social media</li><li value="6">from 15 years of age: smartphones connected to the internet and with “ethical” social media (Mastodon but not TikTok or Instagram)</li><li value="7">from 18 years of age: access to all social media networks</li></ul>The reasoning for such strict recommendations? As the report states:<blockquote>A clear scientific consensus is emerging on the harmful consequences of screens on several aspects of the somatic health of children and adolescents. In particular, the use of screens contributes, directly or indirectly, according to a cause-effect relationship, to sleep deficits, a sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity, obesity and the whole range of chronic pathologies associated with it, as well as eyesight problems (development of myopia and possible risks for the retina linked to exposure to blue light). As yet unresolved scientific questions about the effects of exposure to electromagnetic waves, and the possible impact of exposure to substances present in digital terminals and recognized as endocrine disruptors…</blockquote>Moreover:<blockquote>Children’s uncontrolled access to screens and inadequate regulation of the content to which minors may be exposed, in terms of pornography and extreme violence, pose a high risk to their equilibrium, and sometimes even their safety, all the more so if there is little dialogue with adults. More broadly, they raise societal issues, such as the massive dissemination of certain stereotypes or deleterious representations of relations between men and women, sexuality and living together. The risks of confinement caused by algorithmic bubbles need to be given greater consideration, and deleterious representations deconstructed. The dangers of child sexual abuse have never been so high, and are present in all digital spaces where minors can be found (video games, forums and messaging systems in particular).</blockquote>A personal winIf you have been following this blog for a while, you may guess that these official government recommendations – and the outpouring of articles and media coverage on the subject – have been like music to my ears.My inner circle occasionally made me feel like an extremist for my “no screen time” stance. I have been called by family members – to my face – “Putin” and “a Taliban” and “rude” for removing my child from a room with TV on and for taking away a smartphone from her hands (when an adult gave it to her).As I explained in an earlier post, my family has finally come around: when we visit my parents in Italy they hide TVs for the entirety of our stay (otherwise they are typically on). My in-laws now turn off their large screen TV when my child and I enter the living room. But it’s a daily battle, especially for someone like me who spent her life being conflict-avoidant. It’s awkward having to speak up and ask “can please turn the TV off” in homes of family and friends.If you are reading this and are wondering: “what is the big deal about a TV on?” well, a small child immediately stops talking, playing and interacting with others when there is movement and sound on a screen – the child is under a spell, hypnotized by it, freezing up and watching the screen like a zombie. And most adult programming and TV ads are not suitable for an impressionable toddler. Thus my stance.What is the problem with watching a little bit of TV or playing with a smartphone for a few minutes, you may wonder?Well, parenting is so much easier when kids are NOT exposed to things that you want to limit or outright forbid (for now). There’s this simple trick I taught my parents: if my daughter grabs an object she’s not supposed to use, smoothly take it away within a minute and offer something interesting as a replacement. This is my formula for avoiding tantrums. If my toddler uses something “forbidden” for more than a minute, then it becomes challenging to distract her and redirect her attention to something else. Meltdowns are almost guaranteed (this is why I always keep in my purse an “interesting” object or two to divert her attention). If my toddler gets used to something she is not supposed to use, she may nag me for hours; she can repeat the same request on loop dozens of times. No exposure makes life a lot easier – especially when a child is little and doesn’t have a fully developed brain yet.Devices to Soothe Little Ones vs Screen-Free TimeIf you’ve been to a restaurant or on a plane in recent years you might have seen how parents often soothe little children with tablets or smartphones. There is this feeling of inevitability like: it’s the only way to keep a child quiet and entertained.As the mom of a screen-free 3-year-old I can say that there is another way; it’s easy to keep a child calm and happy without a screen – if they are raised without them.“Easy” is a relative term steeped in privilege because the tradeoff is that you have to interact, find ways to entertain or keep a vigilant eye on your little human when they’re with you. The real cost is time: complete undivided attention. If you can afford the time, it’s a real joy. At the restaurant or on a plane my child asks for a story, or curiously looks around and asks questions or plays with her toys. All this is positive for us but I know we constitute a small minority – as screens have become so prevalent in the lives of many children and teens.The French government’s report stated:<blockquote>As far as total cumulative time is concerned, the most recent reference study in France at the time of writing dates back to 2015, well before the Covid period (Etude Esteban conducted by Santé publique France). According to this study, children aged 6 to 17 spent an average of 4 hours 11 minutes a day on a screen.</blockquote>9 years ago is a long time for a study on this issue. We can only guess that after Covid screen time must have gone up for children of all ages.All I know is this: I am incredibly privileged to be able to spend so much time with my child. I can see the benefits of our one-to-one, screen-free interactions: she has a sophisticated vocabulary in French and Italian, she’s curious, loves books and lots of activities. She’s 3 years old and can entertain herself for long stretches of time. All this didn’t happen all of a sudden: she got used to independent play little by little over the course of her life… because screen-free play is all she knows. It takes time and patience and perseverance.In Search of Lost TimeThe French government’s report mentions several times how adults need to model good behavior to their children. Its title “in search of lost time” applies not only to little ones, but arguably to adults too: excessive screen time is a problem that extends far beyond childhood.I am grateful that because of my little one I have the opportunity to spend half my day offline. It’s a real honor and a gift – something I haven’t been doing since my own childhood. I will be thanking her for many years to come and I will explain to her, when she’s older, of this incredible gift she’s given me.One of the most salient passages from the report:<blockquote>Public authorities and the various players in the digital sector have not remained inactive in the face of the emergence and amplification of these various risks. But the subject is highly complex, leading to a feeling of powerlessness and even renunciation. In this respect, the new European commitments attached to the Digital Services Act (DSA), which has just come into force during France’s presidency, represent an essential window of opportunity for action. They must be articulated with a growing political intention in France, reflected in a number of recent initiatives, which have the advantage of putting the issue on the public agenda, but would gain in effectiveness if attached to a clarified collective strategy.</blockquote>There’s never been a better time to act. I look forward to hearing what the French government will come up with, legislation-wise. President Macron said “I have given the government one month to examine its recommendations and translate them into action.” I will keep you updated.Elena<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/attention-economy/" target="_blank">#attentionEconomy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/digital-literacy/" target="_blank">#digitalLiteracy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/education/" target="_blank">#education</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/emmanuel-macron/" target="_blank">#EmmanuelMacron</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/france/" target="_blank">#France</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/news/" target="_blank">#news</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/parenting/" target="_blank">#parenting</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/politics/" target="_blank">#politics</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/resistance/" target="_blank">#resistance</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/screen-time/" target="_blank">#screenTime</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/screen-free/" target="_blank">#screenFree</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/social-media/" target="_blank">#socialMedia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://therealists.org/tag/time/" target="_blank">#time</a>

LavX NewsThe Multitasking Myth: How Digital Distractions Are Draining Your BrainIn a world obsessed with multitasking, renowned neurologist Richard Cytowic reveals the shocking truth: our brains are not wired for it. As technology bombards us with distractions, the consequences a...<a href="https://news.lavx.hu/article/the-multitasking-myth-how-digital-distractions-are-draining-your-brain" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://news.lavx.hu/article/the-multitasking-myth-how-digital-distractions-are-draining-your-brain</a><a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#news</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#tech</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/CognitiveScience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CognitiveScience</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DigitalDistractions" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DigitalDistractions</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AttentionEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AttentionEconomy</a>

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