Life played in x2

Meetings 25 minutes long because 45 minutes is too long.

Books summarised in 2 minutes.

Podcasts played in x1.5, WhatsApp voice notes in x2.

Emails written by an AI to not waste time thinking what to say.

Youtubes' shorts that last less than a redlight.

Big Tech's promises that this acceleration will allow us to get to everything. But the reality is that we are more anxious thant ever and we're not getting anything done.

Actually, the hyperconnected environment generates more obligations and stacks more and more tasks than what our agendas allows us. Nothing fits in, so it condenses everything just like when we try to close a suitcase that's overpacked.

The mismatch between the frenzy imposed by permanent connection and our nature is taking its toll more and more.

And there are things that can only happen in a slow way:

➼ Often, understanding something takes time, it's not only about processing it like the machine does. [What's important may not be in the headlines].

➼ To write something with your own words and language is part of your identity and gets you closer to what's on the other side, it's not only about generating texts.

➼ Having a conversation face-to-face can change something, it's not only about exchanging text messages.

Slowness is not always inefficiency: it is the precondition of almost everything worth doing/living. And we are systematically eradicating it...

AI accelerated all processes, without judgement, without caution.

When was the last time you did something without caring how long it took?

Ilustración: John S. Dykes para The Wall Street Journal.

By Rommy Artigas