This time, we’re stepping away from the more technical aspects of this blog to delve into the realm of thought and philosophy in the digital age. On February 22, we have the opportunity to attend a talk by renowned sociologist Judy Wajcman at the CCCB in Barcelona.
Let’s take a moment to introduce the speaker, so we can better appreciate her background and perspective. Her credentials are truly impressive, and it’s a privilege to see her speak live on such a relevant topic.
Judy W. is a Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Previously, she taught Sociology at the Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, and has been a visiting professor at the Lehman Brothers Centre for Women in Business at London Business School and at the Oxford Internet Institute. She has also held positions at Cambridge, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sydney, Tokyo, Vienna, Zurich, and Warwick, and was a visiting fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Notably, she was the first woman at St. John’s College, Cambridge (Norman Laski Research Fellow 1978–80).
From 2010 to 2011, she served as president of the Society for Social Studies of Science and remains on its Handbook Committee. She recently published Pressed for Time: The Acceleration of Life in Digital Capitalism (University of Chicago Press, 2015).
The book’s synopsis alone is compelling: the image of the iPhone-addicted, tech-tethered individual is all too familiar. Most of us complain about never having enough time and being overwhelmed by emails. This widespread sense that life is moving faster than ever is now deeply rooted in our culture, and we tend to blame our smartphones and the Internet. Yet, we rarely stop to consider that these very technologies were designed to make our lives easier and more efficient.
Ironically, this has turned us into slaves to speed, caught in an endless cycle of acceleration that we can never truly win—after all, we are not machines.
The real issue is that we ourselves fail to put the brakes on this relentless pace. In fact, being busy and leading action-packed lives is celebrated in our productivity-driven society.
This is precisely why the CCCB has invited her—to share her unique and philosophical perspective on our current relationship with time, and on the acceleration of life in the digital, capitalist era.
Through her insights, she will help us reflect on how digital culture has transformed our concept of time—and, in turn, changed us.
More, faster, better. That could easily be the headline that defines modern life.
A group of workers lining up to clock in at an arms factory. Great Britain, 1940. © IWM (D 672)
The very technology meant to make our lives easier, along with the devices designed to simplify things, has ended up taking control—making us hostages to our own tools.
This is a fascinating talk for anyone interested in contemporary thought and our ever-changing world.
Event details:
Venue: CCCB, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Carrer de Montalegre, 5, 08001 Barcelona.
Opening hours: Open daily except Mondays, from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Phone: 933064100
Here is Judy Wajcman’s talk—I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.