Slow-Tech as the New Religion

Is slow-tech a useful concept for the study of low-tech action? It seems to be on the rise in the form of apps that help you to lead a slower life. But what is it? Is it something more than just a counter-reaction to capitalism & speed?

Slow-tech defines itself in opposition to e.g fast food and the instant gratification of consumerism. When I first heard the term slow food there were all these connections to environmentalism, health, spa, buddhism, etc. I guess it came from San Francisco? (eh, no, stfu)

Apparently, this is called the slow movement and it appeared in the 1980’s. It’s the anti-thesis to the high speed of modern society (>-Virilio -<), but is framed more as a sort of consumer-health-issue in an idealised harmonic society, than something political. It’s still about consuming. It’s still about equilibrium. And for me, ultimately, it seems like a form of wellness – when you make individual choices to get a “successful lifestyle”.

The slow web makes more sense to me. The key features of the slow web has been described as Timely (not real-time), Rhythm (not random) and Knowledge (not information). It sounds very reasonable. In fact, maybe it’s even a bit too reasonable?

I agree that these things are important for a sort of modern media literacy. We need to learn how to deal with the tools and information of today. And probably, we need technology’s help to do it. It can help us to reduce stress by structuring shores, or motivate us by turning real-life sequences into “games” where you collect points and get more things done in your life. Augmented reality, etc.

But idk. Slow? Is that really so good? Looking at e.g slow-tech, it seems like a postmodern version of the californian ideology. There is an underlying idea that technologies can help individuals to become more free. That should basically be the purpose of technologies. So there is still a lot of nature-culture divide in there. In short, it’s antropocentric. Connect your body to AppStore – be successful and happy.

To be blunt: the slow movement sounds like a lazy, ego-centric, new agey and half-arsed alternative to consumerism. Speed isn’t bad, per se. Maybe speed is just what we need to get some *real* alternatives together.

Yesterday I saw The Take (2004) about workers reclaiming abandoned factories in order to make a living. There is a fitting slogan in there: occupy, resist and produce. To me that sounds better than … you know … slow tempo, sustainability and individual health. Less weed, more speed!

If you are interested in stuff like this, I recommend the documentary series All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace by Adam Curtis.