Postdigital Living and Algorithms of Desire

Lackovic, Natasa (2021) Postdigital Living and Algorithms of Desire. Postdigital Science and Education, 3. pp. 280-282. ISSN 2524-4868

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Abstract

This article-commentary introduces the concept of "postdigital living". It reflects on the power of the media, collectively speaking across various genres whose boundaries are ever more blurred, and shifts in general media machinery in relation to algorithms. Media (news, film, social media, advertising) hold a powerful grip over human life, influencing its various aspects such as(un)democratic decision-making ), adolescents’life decisions, and adoption of worldviews that put entire groups of people under the banner of mortal enemies. Many people are increasingly‘relying on their devices during this pandemic to inform and distract more than ever before. In our postdigital times of blurred boundaries between virtual and real, we also experience an increased blurring of boundaries between‘natural’and‘artificial’forms of life. In 2003, Steve Fuller and Bruno Latour debated whether‘a strong distinction between humans and non-humans is no longer required for research purposes. Two decades later, their debate has become‘embodied’in various artificial intelligences. Algorithmic online celebrities, such as Miquela Sousa aka Lil Miquela with over 2 million followers on Instagram, are examples of uncanny postdigital developments, targeting children and teen audiences.