Reflection due 2/1/22

Leo Shaw’s article “Learning Trails” really resonated with me. Oftentimes, we are told as “old” members of gen Z or as “young” millennials that the amount of time we spend on the internet, or anything we view on the internet, is inherently and ubiquitously bad. Therefore, Shaw’s view – that the internet is like a nature preserve which we need to thoughtfully maintain – seems to me like a more realistic way to improve our relationship to the internet rather than simply cutting ourselves off completely. I think that Jenny Odell’s article published on The Creative Indepent, “On how to grow an idea,” reinforces this concept. Odell describes Fukuoka, the pioneer of “do-nothing farming” as someone who “collaborated” with the land to achieve growth. I am charmed by this seemingly gentler approach to life. Rather than fighting weeds or dramatically restructuring his land, Fukuoka let his rice grow among other native plants, presenting the chance for a new type of garden. Odell uses Fukuoka’s approach as a lead-in to their conclusion that ideas are an “intersection between ourselves and something else.” In other words, it would be hard to be creative if I existed in a vacuum without stimulus. I absolutely adore this concept because, like I am chastised for using the internet too much, I am often told that I should stop multitasking. Hearing that multitasking, such as walking and listening to two different podcasts at the same time can be an idea generator, is something which makes me genuinely happy to hear. I struggle with paying attention, and I’ve noticed that when I do another thing with my hands, such as knitting while reading or listening to a podcast, I feel that I can listen more attentively. This validates how I feel.