There used to be a time when a clear distinction existed between an user and the tool they used. For instance, the radio and the landline telephone were tools.
When we listened to the radio, we were the users. We used the radio for information and entertainment.
When we talked over the landline, we were its users. We used it for communicating with others.
Digital technologies have not only blurred the user-tool divide; they have inversed the relationship.
Cal Newport says we should not evaluate technologies based on the benefits they offer. Every technology will provide a benefir or two, no doubt.
Instead, we should ask what value they provide us.
Cal Newport says there are two kinds of technologies we use: additive and extractive.
The landline phone is an additive technology.
Substack writer Priscilla Harvey did not provide smartphones to her kids. She encouraged them to use the landline to chat with friends. Her son spent hours talking to his gradmothers over the landline. They narrated stories and anwered his questions. There was no distraction.
The landline added value to her son’s life by making conversations easier and distraction-free.
On the other hand, social media platforms are extractive technologies. Sure, they provide benefits like building connections, whether personal or professional. They can also help create awareness about social issues.
At the same time, these platforms take from us more than they give us as benefits. They extract our time, attention, and personal data. They serve the interests of the platform owners.
Cal Newport advocates techno-selectionism. We must he careful about what tools we allow into our lives.We must not shy away from exploring and trying alternatives that serve our purposes as well as add value to our lives.
We can’t totally avoid using digital technologies. But we can be aware of their downsides like what they are trying to extract from us.
Responsible use of new technologies can ensure that users end up as net gainers, not losers.
