Abandoning the Status Quo
In Jenny Odell’s book, How to Do Nothing, she touches on many different issues and ideals that she deems as important and should be brought to the forefront of our society. Odell brings up topics that are not typically discussed or given too much thought. One idea she focuses heavily on is the way social media has affected our society and how we now perceive ourselves and the world we live in because of it. We have created an online persona that has taken a toll on the way we go about life. This has caused people to believe that productivity is valued which means we do not take much time for ourselves to do “nothing.” She places value on the ability to take a break and cherish the world outside of our phones. A second issue that is brought to light by Odell is how society has gotten used to following the norm and not standing out. There is a fear in society of being different. It is heavily emphasized that we should obey social norms and not express ourselves. Because of social media, society has become fixated on the idea that our actions are always being observed and we should try our hardest to fit in. This makes it easy to feel like going against the grain makes you the odd one out, which turns to the fear that we will gain a negative reaction from the people around us for being who we truly are. In chapters one and three Odell goes into great depth on how these issues have shaped us. As a teenager living in this technological society, I believe that these issues are very important and should be taken into account. However, I do also believe that Odell misses something important. She does not consider how social media and technology can also help many people stay connected and help relationships. Odell focuses only on the negative effects of social media without seeing the positives. I know that social media has done good in my life. It has given me the opportunity to stay connected to the important people in my life while I am away at school and helps me to maintain and create bonds by being able to keep up with their lives as well as help me express myself online. It has become a great outlet for people to share their interests and talents.
In chapter one of Odells book, she focuses on the effects that technology and social media has had on society and how it directly relates to her view of the attention economy. This has caused us to become very fixated on our lives as well as the lives of the people around us. We are always watching what other people are doing because of social media. Odell explains her own personal experience with technology. She shares that she had once chosen to not get a phone with emails attached. She states,
“I knew exactly what would happen the minute I did: that every minute of every day I would in fact be answerable to someone even if my leash was a lot longer.” (17).
This is something that I agree, can be a problem. At times I can be very attached to my phone. There is this sense of guilt when I do not answer someone right away or do not pick up the phone even if I am doing something at that moment. My phone can be very distracting, especially when doing work. Hearing the buzz of my cell phone can sometimes pull me away from doing my schoolwork. Odell was smart to not attach her emails to her phone if she realized in herself that it would be a problem. She knew that she would become fixated. I believe that it is a good quality for people to have when they can control their fixation. We must adapt to the technological world.
Odell claims that there should be an importance in opting out of the social media driven world. She explains that “doing nothing” is something that should be of value and that the attention economy is hurting us because by going onto social media, that means we are not doing things for ourselves. She feels as if the world of technology has made it increasingly hard for people to do things for themselves and spend their free time correctly. She wants people to “do nothing” by taking a step back and disconnecting from the social media society. Doing things that can connect us with the outside world and not the online world is something that Odell values and believes that society should adapt to.
“Nothing”, is neither a luxury nor a waste of time, but rather a necessary part of meaningful thought and speech.” (4).
This is an argument I can stand behind on. I believe that people do not really take the time for themselves because we get so caught up in the world of social media. It is good to take breaks. Opting completely out of the attention economy is probably not something that is ideal. This is something that Odell I’m sure is aware of. Odell still owns devices of her own. It is important that we can adapt to our devices. It is not ideal to completely escape from the attention economy. Not everyone wants to. By taking breaks every now and then, we have more time to do things for ourselves while still being able to stay connected to our friends and family online.
A big argument made by Odell is that by being a part of the attention economy and being a part of the social media driven world, it means that our relationships suffer and take a toll. She claims that by being involved in social media, that the way we interact with our friends and family declines. This is something that I do not agree with. The attention economy is not something that is entirely evil. Technology definitely has its ways of keeping us connected and keeping our relationships strong. Being away at college can be hard when you’re close to your friends and family. Being able to be connected to my home friends through social media definitely makes me feel like I am close to them. Being able to be updated on their lives makes me feel super connected and in the loop. There’s also all the opportunities to call, text and video chat with them. Without it, I would feel completely disconnected, and it would probably cause a strain in my relationships with them. Odell claims that technology can cause strains on our relationships without mentioning how technology can also keep us just as close.
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An issue that Odell brings up that she believes is relevant to society is the objective of fitting in and not standing out. She brings up this idea that there is a fear of being different and standing out and that people hold back when it comes to expressing themselves because social media has made it easy for people to get used to social norms and being all the same and not going too much against the grain. There is a fixation by society that our actions are being observed. This can make us not want to be the odd ones out and wanting to attract too much attention to ourselves so we do not get judged or ridiculed. In chapter three, Odell backs up her claim by introducing Tom Green’s “The Dead Guy”, where he would lay face down in the middle of a busy sidewalk as people would walk by. These people would walk by and laugh at him and get some form of entertainment from his act. He stood out from the crowd because what he did was not normal or considered to be a norm. He just looked weird and goofy. Odell explains that acts that are against the norm are the ones that are considered to be “often legendary.”
“Stopping or refusing to do something only gains this status if everyone else is doing what is expected of them, and have never allowed anyone to do what is expected of them.” (64).
People who have gained recognition or status did not get there by blending in with the societal norms that were placed upon them. They decided to be different and stand out. Standing out is what matters in the long run.
Odell continues to highlight this idea by discussing the philosopher Diogenes of Sinope who lives in the fourth century of Athens. He was better known as,
“…the man who lives in the tub”, scorning all material possessions except for a stick and a ragged cloak.” (65).
Odell explains that Diogenes lives his life with the purpose of being different and shocking people with his actions and ideas, as they were not the norm in the society he lived in. He believed that people should reject what was deemed unnecessary in life, such as status and possessions. He devoted his life to having different views and not following the norms because he thought that people who followed them were insane and that norms actually did way more harm than good. In the text it states,
“Diogenes thought every “sane” person in the world was actually insane for heeding any of the customs upholding a world full of greed, corruption and ignorance.” (66).
Diogenes continues to go against societal norms, which leads him to go down in history as well respected and brave. Even seen as a hero. This helps Odell explain that society has become very attached to the idea of obeying social norms without truly realizing how damaging they may be. I believe that this goes back to Odell’s view on social media. Odell believes that social media plays a very direct role in social norms and that the media has the power to influence society and our views. The content that is put out into the world creates a universal idea of what is considered to be a norm. This enhances society to accept these ideas and adapt to them if they believe that other people have adapted to them as well. Odell expresses that we should not follow the norms.
I believe that social media has actually made it very easy for people to express themselves. Social media has become a creative outlet for people to share their talents and interests online. When logging onto social media I always see people who are sharing their skills online. Some people share their art, photography, singing, etc. This has made it easier for people to become very comfortable with expressing themselves. I have seen this first hand with my friend from home. My best friend Connor is an amazing musician and loves to share his music online. He has his own social media account dedicated to his music. On this account he posts videos of him playing the guitar or singing. It has become his creative outlet and inspiration for his music. Because of social media, he feels as if he has a way to express himself and this makes him unique. This makes me disagree with Odell’s claim, I have seen how important social media is to people when it comes to making themselves stand out. Many people online that I see are always going against the grain. In contrast to what Odell believes, I think that social media has made it easy for people to feel comfortable with sharing their talents and uniqueness.
In Jenny Odell’s book, How to Do Nothing, she touches on two important topics. One is the way that social media has affected us and the negative consequences it has on society and how she believes that social media makes us compare ourselves and gives us too much time to believe that we should always be productive, instead of taking breaks and doing nothing. By doing nothing we benefit in life greatly because we are taking the time to do something for ourselves. She states that social media takes a toll on our real social lives and our relationships suffer because of it. However, I believe that social media and the attention economy has actually made it easier for us to stay connected and feel closer to the ones we love by being up to date with the events going on in their lives. From personal experience, I know that without social media and technology, I would probably not have the relationships with the people in my life right now. Without it, I would not be in touch and feel connected with my friends and family while being away at school. It has helped me a lot. She also touches upon the idea of social norms in our world and the societal fear of being different. She states that social media has been a big player in social norms, if not the biggest. It has caused us to live in fear of going against the grain in society. I highly disagree with this claim. I see the way social media has become flooded with people expressing their differences and talents. It has become a resource to share what makes them different and inspire them. Odell chooses to shine a light on the ways she believes the attention economy has been negative towards society. For me, when I listen to her claims, I can’t help but think of all the ways that the attention economy has benefited me and the people in my life in great ways.
