The discovery of the digital tardiness (and my new nom-de-plume, Jennifer Smoke)

The German public radio network, ZDF, ran this great snail photo with its recent story about Slow Media, which follows below (as translated by Babel Fish).

On-line Filmer Kirby Ferguson wanted to deslag - mentally. Thus he did not meals or alcohol, but without speed in the Internet. Slow Media is called the movement from the USA, which sloshes now also to Germany.

The rules are clear: In the Internet surf is forbidden - exactly the same as blog, News feeds, television YouTube, DVDs and Twitter. The computer use and the multitasking are reduced. Maximally 30 minutes private emails per day are permitted. Okay is " everything that ist" on paper; , as well as radio, Podcasts, cinema. And a Hintertürchen gives it: A daily Blog and Facebook update are permitted.

Ferguson brakes

It is an experiment, which Kirby Ferguson at the beginning of the yearly places itself. On-line Filmer made of New York is " Digitally Native". He says of itself: " Most of all I make everything gleichzeitig."

Facebook, Twitter, a blog, YouTube, RSS feed - Ferguson goes through everywhere. And as like that is in a Blog Facebook Nabelschauwelt: He observes himself thereby. And it states that its concentration frays that its thoughts constantly fly away to him.

Ferguson decides to brake. For one month it orders itself a Slow Media diet. " It does not concern thereby Technologien" if he explains, " separate around Geschwindigkeit." Therefore for example audio Podcasts are permitted and RSS feed taboo. And Ferguson got, which he wanted. After one month it draws balance: " I am already geworden" after few days more calmly; , it tells. " And I do not believe that I mean old habits will again take up. With the Twittern I to stop completely, that was not missing to me at all. With web pages and blog am more attentive I, rather invest more time into really good Sachen."

Inspired by Slow Food: Less speed, more quality

That is the Credo of the Slow Media movement. As Slow Food supporters take themselves more time, in order to cook better meals, Slow Media Aktivisten the speed of their medium consumption throttle - for better communication. The debate over it runs on-line ones - in blog or at the Slow Media Facebook group. In addition, it reached the universities.

Jennifer Smoke is assistant professor to the Long Iceland University in Brooklyn. Experiments for slow medium use and to the medial chamfered are a firm component of their work. " My students are so strongly digitally interlaced. If they only one hour must do without on-line media, they are afraid of missing somewhat. And they forgot, with boredom umzugehen" , it says. For the medium course the students must do for one day without Internet or mobile phone and note their experiences. " Not all create das" , smoke tells, " if they hold on however, they place often astonished firmly that them do not haben." nothing at all missed;

The German theory

Such experimental, playful entrances to Slow Media are still rare in Germany. Here the movement is top-heavier. Benedikt Köhler, Sabria David and Jörg Blumtritt " in the net; Slow Media Manifest" (More externally left - opens in new window) in 14 points publishes. Its philosophy one " Manufactum in the Internet" is rather fast as " diffus" , " realitätsfern" and " reaktionär" criticized. Jörg Blumtritt explains itself also with the fact that Slow Media between the fronts stands: " There are on-line defenders and on-line Verteufler. It finds the one that the world at the Internet is to genesen. The others see the fall of the journalism in the Internet. We try a synthesis. We want well made on-line contents, which grow over the years and maintained werden."

Momentarily the authors of the Slow Media communist manifesto work on a kind catalog, in which they collect contents, which correspond to their conception of Slow Media. The list already shows, as difficult it is to determine exactly what the new, slow media to be is. And nevertheless Jörg Blumtritt believes that Slow Media will win in the coming years at meaning: " That is as with Öko Essen" , it says, " there one can also not exactly say, is a niche or is it a movement. But it changed our attitude to the meal. So also Slow Media would know a large thing werden."

--By Sophie Burkhardt of ZDF

Comments

[Jennifer]

Hi, Benedikt!

I'm always glad to find kindred spirits. So many people seem perplexed (or even hostile) when I say anything critical about digital media. It's as though I were trying to take candy away from children :-)

Wanting to spend less time looking at screens doesn't seem so revolutionary, does it? Less is more. Quality over quantity. Wisdom over trivia.

Yours sincerely,
Jenny

[Benedikt]

Hi Jennifer "Smoke" Rauch,

thanks for the mention. Maybe the babelfishism "That is as with Öko Essen" would make a great claim for our blog ;-) In the meanwhile we also produced an English version of the manifesto (http://slow-media.net/manifesto). Looking forward to exchanging thoughts with you.

Best
Benedikt