Intro: 12:55 | Outro: 1:08:16
In this episode, I speak with political writer William Hawes. We discuss his sharp and insightful essay ‘Questioning The Extremely Online.’
What does it mean to be extremely online? As William puts it simply and bluntly, it’s “spending too much time on the web, scrolling through social media feeds out of habit, checking email or notifications dozens of times a day” — something that I, and so many others, are completely guilty of in this age of information. While that behavior in and of itself produces particular problems on its own, what concerns William is a more specific version of this complex, in which mainstream journalists and alternative media commentators are "constantly posting every news update; sharing a gazillion times every day each and every version and opinion on a current event/post/tweet about the lead news stories of the day, whether it is something interesting about global warming or something as ignorant and banal as the president’s tweets; prognosticating about the presidential election a year and a half before it happens; using dubious polls or statistics to bolster weak arguments; and basically reacting to every media spectacle with behavior including but not limited to juvenile tantrums, posturing, faux outrage, jaded cynicism, pompous virtue-signaling, ironic detachment, and narcissistic self-aggrandizement.” (http://bit.ly/2o5oy0C)
As we dig into William’s insights into how being “extremely online” has informed our social behaviors in the past several decades, his most cutting criticisms are aimed at contemporary political activism — both in its theory and praxis — and how even the most die-hard eco-radicals, anti-capitalists, and leftists of all stripes are (not-so) subtly impacted by the pervasive algorithmic logic of being “extremely online.” William’s insights include a recognition of who stands to benefit from this massive shift in how we process and react to information, and most importantly in how this dynamic inherently limits how we imagine and actively manifest a post-capitalist future.
William Hawes is a writer specializing in politics and environmental issues. He is author of the ebook ‘Planetary Vision: Essays on Freedom and Empire.’ His articles have appeared online at CounterPunch, Global Research, Countercurrents, Gods & Radicals, Dissident Voice, The Ecologist, and more.
Episode Notes:
- Read ‘Questioning The Extremely Online’: http://bit.ly/2o5oy0C
- Follow William’s work on his website and on Medium: https://williamhawes.wordpress.com // https://medium.com/@wilhawes
- Learn more about and purchase his ebook ‘Planetary Vision: Essays on Freedom and Empire’: https://amzn.to/2W01DAi
- The song featured is “Endless Sea” by Daedelus from the Looking Ocean EP.