Hobbyist Academia #49
I’ve been thinking a lot about the dichotomy of our digital world. I want to spend less time on the Internet, staring at screens, but opting out entirely isn’t a realistic option. I do also enjoy a lot of what I consume, and curating for this newsletter is the filter through which I pare down what I spend my time consuming.
It’s a topic that comes up in my corner of the Internet pretty often, and you’ll see it reflected in this edition’s media recommendations too.
Read
Alex Dobrenko “went to the woods and realized the Internet is insane”- and then shared his learnings with all of us. His story of finding calm away from the online world, resolving to change his relationship to it, and quickly falling back into old habits is one that resonates. His analogy of social media sites and apps as casinos is an accurate one. His lack of a silver bullet to fix this whole mess is the same conclusion I have reached.
Priya Parker recently shared ideas of gatherings that shift the energy for guests in ways that are simple to replicate in your own gatherings. One of my favorite tenets of Priya’s wisdom is that gatherings are “the creation of a temporary alternative world.”
I was fascinated by this interview with Craig Mod about how long walks are the underlying operating system for his writing and other creative pursuits.
Listen
Jack Winston of BePresent was on a recent episode of The Kanso Show talking about how to foster a healthier relationship with technology. It was an excellent and inspiring conversation. I really liked the idea of digital health and wellness as another pillar of holistic health- like physical health, mental health, or social health.
Engage and Interact
Maria Popova, creator and writer of The Marginalian (formerly known as Brain Pickings), has launched Marginalian Editions- a publishing collaboration to revive hand-selected, out-of-print titles that are integral to finding meaning in our lives. As with everything Maria does, it is incredibly well thought out and intentional.
The third edition of Playground is out now- a print magazine exploring European creative industries and culture. Issue 3 is about freedom- freedom of work structures, personal freedom, freedom from seriousness, freedom from social media algorithms. If you’re in Amsterdam or Vilnius, join an IRL launch event to celebrate the release of Issue 3.
Save This for Later
The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet by The Dark Forest Collective
Things Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir by Craig Mod
[I will receive a small commission should you purchase a book using the Bookshop links included in the newsletter or through my Bookshop collection, where you can find almost all the books I’ve included in the newsletter so far. Bookshop is an Amazon-alternative online bookseller that supports independent bookstores in your local community.]