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I don't feel like the two statements "How to Do Nothing" and "Resisting the Attention Economy" are congruent.

Nor are her actions for that matter: She waxes on about not creating things and then creates a book.

I just finished How to do Nothing by Jenny Odell, and this was one of the big take-aways I got from the book. She's not advocating total digital detox - she's actually fairly critical of the idea. Her argument that it isn't how much you use devices, it's simply how you use devices.

That said she also pushes back against the idea of using things like notifications and gamification to try and mold our behavior. I'm kind of inclined to agree; my instinct is to say that this is a spot where the ends don't justify the means; encouraging addictive behavior patterns is still encouraging addictive behavior patterns.

There is a very good book that I am reading that might change your mind: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff. Another book I really recommend is Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing - Resisting the Attention Economy.

You make good points and I am not arguing with you, but I found theses two books really convinced me that some balance is required, and worthwhile.

This topic reminds me of Jenny Odell's "How to Do Nothing" [1]. The book links the attention economy with the loss of public space in ways that I had never considered but now believe to be true.

Consider two thoughts. First, a mall is not a true public space. It is a branded, controlled experience designed for shopping. For many teenagers in America, the mall is a default hang out space—or at least was when I was a kid. Second, today you can easily see an ad on your phone before you say hello to your partner or kids, before you go outside, before you use the bathroom.

Underpinning these issues is the gnawing feeling, for many people, that we must be _more productive_. Time is money. Space is money. You should be doing something or, if you must do nothing, do nothing so that you can do something more later. Did you know that these CEOs read this many books this year? This successful person mediates an hour a day. What have you shipped today?

Her solution is not to delete your social media accounts, throw out your smart phone, and disappear into the woods. Her solution is to ground yourself. Watch birds. Learn about who lived on the land before you. Talk to your neighbors. Walk down a river. Get involved in local politics. This process of remembering that you're a physical being in a physical place, that you live in a real community, is a reminder that your life is interdependent upon everything around you.

I'm not quite sure how this is related to public housing, but I suspect it is, e.g. this article's main theme is that these public spaces grew out of labor movements that also fought for things like the 8-hour work day.

[1] http://www.jennyodell.com/writing.html

List plain text (from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2019-...)

    “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power,” by Shoshana Zuboff
    “The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company,” by William Dalrymple
    “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee,” by Casey Cep
    “Girl, Woman, Other,” by Bernardine Evaristo (Booker Prize winner)
    “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America From 1890 to the Present,” by David Treuer
    “How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy,” by Jenny Odell
    “Lost Children Archive,” by Valeria Luiselli
    “Lot: Stories,” by Bryan Washington
    “Normal People,” by Sally Rooney
    “The Orphan Master’s Son,” by Adam Johnson
    “The Yellow House,” by Sarah M. Broom (National Book Award winner, nonfiction)
    “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland,” by Patrick Radden Keefe
    “Solitary,” by Albert Woodfox
    “The Topeka School,” by Ben Lerner
    “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion,” by Jia Tolentino
    “Trust Exercise,” by Susan Choi (National Book Award winner, fiction)
    “We Live in Water: Stories,” by Jess Walter