What I learned from the Slow Media Manifesto

Link to the manifesto - http://en.slow-media.net/manifesto

The Slow Media Manifesto, or “Das Slow Media Manifest” (the original German name), offers counterpoints to the rapid consumption of information through digital media. After reading and reflecting on this document several times, I have learned things that I am gradually adopting and that have helped me. Here they are:

Be sustainable

I asked myself this question: Do I have the necessary resources to do what I need to do? To be clear, my definition of “necessary” refers to what is essential. Sometimes, our minds, through consumption, make us consider things as necessary erroneously, causing us to waste time, money, and other resources.

Does the media I consume bring me any reflection? Or are they merely for passive consumption where I just watch and move on to the next one? Another question, how do I feel after consuming this type of passive media for a long time? That one is easy to answer, I feel like I’m wasting my time.

Be mono-task

Have you ever spent an entire day or a good part of it just reacting to messages in Microsoft Teams or Slack? I have! Planning is key to escaping from this reactive scenario to a directed work. I started to define what I would do the next day, leaving a space to attend to an urgent demand if it comes up.

There are complex activities that require days of work, analysis, and attention. Being mono-task, in this case, allows us to take our attention to a higher level that will enable completion.

Silence is gold. I’ve tried using different types of playlists, white noise, etc. But facing the task in silence and concentration shows who’s in control.

Seek perfection instead of wanting to be perfect

If you compare ready-made food from the market and food made by your grandmother, you will realize why the food made by her is so good because she consistently follows the protocol of combining the ingredients, cutting and seasoning, and that takes time. This slow and constant process leads to excellence in execution.

Make it tangible

Ideas need to be materialized to be experienced, judged, and validated. This blog is an example of this. I wanted to share my experiences and thoughts, but I needed a tangible medium to express them. This was the idea that I came up with. In fact, I am open to comments if you have a different idea. And this leads to the last point.

Discuss it

Ask and seek the opinion of people you trust and know can bring counterpoints to what you are doing.

I hope you enjoyed this content, and you are welcome to comment and share your impressions on this topic, which is very broad but significant for today’s world.

I hope this is helpful! Please let me know if you have any other questions.