Do you feel the need to be productive all the time? Do you feel guilty when you do nothing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s easy to feel like you have to constantly be doing something. Social media declares that, to be a good person, you have to pay attention to the right post or cause; you feel like your time is money and you have to constantly use it productively. Jenny Odell says we must understand and resist this mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep reading for an overview of Odell’s book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n In modern life, the need to always do something<\/em> can be overwhelming. You may feel as though you have to use all your available time to advance your career or accomplish something productive. In How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy<\/em><\/a>, professor and visual artist Jenny Odell argues that this feeling is created by broader social and economic forces and that devoting attention to \u201cnon-productive\u201d things is a form of healing and social activism. <\/strong>Odell\u2019s suggestion of \u201cdoing nothing\u201d refers not to inaction<\/em> but rather to actions that don\u2019t have clear or immediate value, like sitting in nature, making art for its own sake, or learning about an abstract topic that interests you. We\u2019ll explore Odell\u2019s argument in three parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: How to Do Nothing<\/em> is part of a growing trend of articles, books, and other media about finding joy and managing stress in an increasingly overwhelming modern world. For example, Austin Kleon\u2019s Keep Going<\/em><\/a> explores how to remain creative<\/a> and find joy in creativity even while under stress<\/a>. But while works like Kleon\u2019s focus on the individual level, explaining how you can make your own<\/em> life less stressful, How to Do Nothing <\/em>tries to paint a broader picture\u2014Odell explains why modern life, in general, is so stressful and outlines the social changes required to improve it. Odell still offers practical, everyday advice, but this isn\u2019t the book\u2019s only focus.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Odell discusses doing nothing, she first outlines the problems it\u2019s meant to solve: the consequences of the attention economy<\/a><\/em>, or the mindset of placing monetary value on time and attention. <\/strong>Part 1 explains how the attention economy works and explores its negative impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell explains that in the 1980s, corporate deregulation\u2014the elimination of laws and rules regarding corporate conduct\u2014as well as the loss of labor power allowed the wealthy and major corporations to monetize much larger portions of people\u2019s lives. The cutting of social safety nets and stagnation of wages also put people in a situation where they couldn\u2019t say no to more work or worse working conditions without risking their livelihoods. This economic shift led to a mindset <\/em>shift: People had to start thinking of their time and attention in terms of monetary value.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The increased monetization of time, Odell explains, means people are almost always \u201con\u201d in some way.<\/strong> Over the past several decades, the line between when people are and are not working has grown blurrier. More jobs are temporary gigs or rely on self-promotion, meaning people have to use their time not only to do<\/em> work but also to ensure they have<\/em> more work to do in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell suggests that the internet and social media have increasingly monetized attention.<\/strong> The internet generates more money than ever through pay-per-click ads, donations, sponsorships, and so on. And with the vast amount of information available on the internet, people have to compete to be noticed, and some use social or psychological manipulation to try and boost engagement. Even if you aren\u2019t trying to garner attention of your own online, simply using the internet and social media means facing hordes of people clamoring for your attention, many of whom are manipulating you to try and boost engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell explains that the attention economy <\/strong>has two main consequences: loss of context and social atomization<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell explains there\u2019s no room for context and depth in the attention economy<\/strong>. Learning about the intentions and complexities behind an action, statement, or viewpoint requires a lot of time and probably won\u2019t get very much attention. On the other hand, broader, shallower, and context-free actions, statements, and viewpoints take little time to produce and get a lot more attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without context and depth, people are more easily misled and manipulated. They lack a full understanding of a given situation, and so they\u2019re more likely to go with the most obvious or most popular interpretation, whether or not it\u2019s actually true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The attention economy also leads to social atomization, or people becoming disconnected from one another and their communities<\/strong>, <\/strong>explains Odell. Since people are \u201calways on,\u201d they have less time to devote to nurturing connections with the people around them. In addition, succeeding in the attention economy requires people to constantly advocate for or \u201cmarket\u201d themselves through things like self-promotion or networking. This leads them to see each other as customers, or potential sources of monetary value, rather than as friends and community members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atomization has contributed in large part to the modern era\u2019s epidemic of loneliness<\/a> and lack of meaning in life, explains Odell. It also hampers social and political activism\u2014when people lack deep connections with one another, it\u2019s more difficult to organize them in pursuit of a specific goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After explaining what the attention economy is and why it\u2019s harmful, Odell discusses different methods people have used to try and resist it. <\/strong>In Part 2, we\u2019ll discuss the methods she believes are flawed and then outline her method of doing nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell critiques two conventional methods people have tried using to resist the attention economy<\/a>: running away from society and doing a temporary \u201cdetox.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first form of resistance Odell critiques is leaving society entirely\u2014going \u201coff the grid\u201d in some kind of isolated location or commune. This common fantasy of running away is impractical and self-defeating<\/strong>, argues Odell. Trying to live outside of and separate from our capitalist system is nearly impossible, as it requires total self-sufficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, running away from society won\u2019t necessarily get rid of the attention economy mindset<\/em> of viewing time and attention in terms of monetary value\u2014you can still bring these deep-seated beliefs with you and apply them to your new community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, Odell argues that any benefit of running away isn\u2019t worth having to sever all connections with the people, environment, and history of your local community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second common understanding of doing nothing is as a temporary detox, or a break from the attention economy, explains Odell. This often takes the form of retreats where you \u201cunplug\u201d or getaways to remote locations without the internet or other common luxuries. Odell argues that the problem with this approach is that it fails to challenge the overall mindset behind the attention economy\u2014viewing time and attention in terms of value and productivity<\/strong>. While retreats might help with stress or burnout at the moment, they don\u2019t change the long-term habits that make people stressed and burned out in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell believes that, to resist the attention economy, you must do nothing. Doing nothing refers to two major mindset shifts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, doing nothing refers, not to inaction<\/em>, but rather to devoting time and attention to things you care about that are hard for capitalism<\/a> and the attention economy to monetize. Odell argues that doing nothing is an effective method of resistance because it actively refutes the mindset<\/em> of the attention economy<\/strong>, instead of just trying to get away from the circumstances it creates. It also helps address both main consequences of the attention economy: reduced context and social atomization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To illustrate how \u201cdoing nothing\u201d can be a form of resistance, Odell references \u201cOld Survivor,\u201d the last old-growth coastal redwood tree in the Oakland, California area. In the 19th century, the timber industry\u2014a capitalist institution\u2014was cutting down all of the old, massive historic redwood trees in the area for lumber. However, Old Survivor was too small, inaccessible, and gnarled to be worth cutting down, so it was ignored and therefore lived on. In a sense, it resisted simply by doing nothing, and it lived on while all the trees that were \u201cuseful\u201d to capitalist society<\/a> died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing nothing gives you a new appreciation for context and depth in your life, <\/strong>according to Odell. Under the attention economy mindset, activities that involve context and depth are \u201cnon-productive\u201d because they lack monetary value. But by doing nothing, you\u2019ll stop thinking of context and depth in this way and instead will appreciate how they can connect you to the world. This can apply on a personal level, with you finding more meaning in life through deeper engagement with the things you care about. It can also apply on a broader social level, with people taking the time to refine and contextualize the ideals of their social cause instead of relying on general outrage and discontent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell argues that doing nothing also helps prevent atomization. Once you escape the attention economy mindset, you\u2019ll stop viewing others in terms of monetary value <\/strong>and will instead start viewing them as members of your community. With that perspective, you can connect with the world around you by forming genuine social bonds. This not only helps address personal loneliness and emptiness but also helps people band together to organize around social issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After explaining why doing nothing is the best way to resist the attention economy, Odell elaborates on how<\/em> to do nothing. In Part 3, we\u2019ll explore the two elements of Odell\u2019s method: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing nothing requires changing how you use attention, explains Odell. In particular, she emphasizes the importance of self-awareness\u2014that is, noticing where you place your attention.<\/strong> Odell argues that you can take back control through self-awareness\u2014by being aware of attention manipulation and value-based thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Odell explains that in the attention economy, people attempt to manipulate your attention through a number of different tricks\u2014clickbait, addictive social media apps, flashy advertisements, and so on. Therefore, taking back control of your attention requires you to be aware of when your attention is being manipulated. <\/strong>Once you understand how people are trying to grab your attention, you can be more intentional in giving your attention to what you really<\/em> care about, instead of to whatever is manipulating you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Odell, the attention economy mindset also creates strong thought patterns<\/a> relating time and attention to value<\/strong>. For example, you might get frustrated with yourself when you feel like you\u2019re not being productive, dismiss a task or activity because you see it as lacking practical value<\/a>, or feel anxious whenever you aren\u2019t working. She suggests you notice when you\u2019re having these thoughts and directly challenge them, recognizing that they\u2019re part of the harmful attention economy mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to changing how you use your attention, Odell suggests changing how you use your time. Specifically, she argues you should devote time to familiarizing yourself with and connecting to the world around you. <\/strong>Odell offers three ways you can put your time to good use by connecting with the world around you: exploring your environment, learning about local history, and getting to know your neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, Odell advises you to do nothing by taking time to explore the natural environment.<\/strong> This adds depth and context to your life in two ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exploring your environment could mean walking around in nature, but it doesn\u2019t have to\u2014even if you live in a city, you can still take time to discover what kinds of flora and fauna live around you and are native to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can connect with the world around you by learning the history of your city, town, or neighborhood, <\/strong>Odell says. As with exploring the natural world, learning local history allows you to gain a new appreciation for where you live and what makes it unique and worth preserving. It also contextualizes you<\/em> as a part of that history, causing you to think about how you impact your community and how you can contribute to or connect with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Odell recommends taking time to get to know your neighbors.<\/strong> This allows you to become a part of a local community, even one as small as your apartment building or block, which in turn helps prevent atomization. As well as making you less lonely, knowing your neighbors makes it easier for you to organize around important issues and support one another. This could mean something as simple as knowing someone who\u2019ll lend you a cup of sugar or as complex as having a group of tenants who can collectively pressure their landlord to make a much-needed repair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you feel the need to be productive all the time? Do you feel guilty when you do nothing? It\u2019s easy to feel like you have to constantly be doing something. Social media declares that, to be a good person, you have to pay attention to the right post or cause; you feel like your time is money and you have to constantly use it productively. Jenny Odell says we must understand and resist this mindset. Keep reading for an overview of Odell’s book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":90894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,7,30],"tags":[1064],"class_list":["post-105561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-lifestyle","category-work","tag-how-to-do-nothing","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nOverview of How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Part 1: The Attention Economy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How the Attention Economy Works<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Monetization of Time<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The Monetization of Attention<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Consequences of the Attention Economy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1) Loss of Context and Depth<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2) Social Atomization<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Part 2: What It Means to Do Nothing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wrong Ways to Resist<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1) Running Away From Society<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2) Doing a Temporary Detox<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
The Right Way to Resist: Doing Nothing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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1) Resisting in the Right Way Adds Context and Depth<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2) Resisting in the Right Way Prevents Social Atomization<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Part 3: How to Do Nothing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Change How You Use Your Attention<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1) Be Aware of Attention Manipulation<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2) Awareness of Value-Based Thinking<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Change How You Use Your Time<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Explore Your Environment<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Learn Local History<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Get to Know Your Neighbors<\/h5>\n\n\n\n