Walden revisited

Ich lese in einer Rezension zweier Neuerscheinungen zum Thema medialer, genauer: digitaler Ablenkung eine Passage, die mir das Schmunzeln im Gesicht gefrieren läßt: »Picture Thoreau now, on his obligation-shedding saunter through the Massachusetts woods. There are unanswered emails from the morning’s business a twitchy finger away. Facebook notifications fall upon him like leaves. The babbling brook is not only lovely, but demands to be shared via Instagram, once the correct filter (›Walden,‹ natch) has been applied. Perhaps a quick glance at the Health app to track his steps, or a browse of the TripAdvisor reviews of Walden Pond (›serene and peaceful‹). There may be Pokémon Go baubles to collect—the app may have even compelled his walk in the first place.«

Tom Vanderbilt. »The Perils of Peak Attention.« Rezension zu The Attention Merchants, von Tim Wu sowie Wasting Time on the Internet, von Kenneth Goldsmith. New Republic, Oct. 17, 2016, https://newrepublic.com/article/137107/perils-peak-attention.