Non-Things
by Byung-Chul Han · first published 2021
7mentions
2recommended by
5HN commenters
2023–2026first – last mentioned
40% recommend60% neutral
We no longer inhabit earth and dwell under the sky: these are being replaced by Google Earth and the Cloud. The terrestrial order is giving way to a digital order, the world of things is being replaced by a world of non-things – a constantly expanding ‘infosphere’ of information and communication which displaces objects and obliterates any stillness and calmness in our lives. Byung-Chul Han’s critique of the infosphere highlights the price we are paying for our growing preoccupation with information and communication. Today we search for more information without gaining any real knowledge.
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…definitely plays a part in that, I don't want to deal with randomly generated articles or content. But even regular content, like YouTube shorts, are unhealthy for the human brain. I'm currently reading non-things by Byung-Chul Han, which is an interesting exploration of internet's impact on humanity/humans. Haven't finished it yet, but enjoying it so far.
on “Is anybody else bored of talking about AI?” ↗You might also enjoy... Byung Chul Han, Non-Things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld
on “The Conquest of Ubiquity – Paul Valéry (1928)” ↗'boredom' is how I'd call it but it has a negative connotation. Being bored is useful, it lets your mind wander and it's where real creativity can happen. I read "Non-Things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld" recently and since reading that I make an effort to not pick up my phone as much. I'd recommend reading the book, if you're looking for something to do instead of doomscrolling.
on “Men Who Stare at Walls” ↗I didn't read Peak Mind, but two books that are somewhat in the same vain (based on your description) are: 1. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59794522-non-things 2. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/236849376-attensity First one I highly recommend. Second one I'm reading now, so far it's.. okay. The ideas in the book resonate with me but the writing is…
on “I Learned to Read Again” ↗in the book "non-things" by "Byung-Chul Han" the author talks about this feeling, the never ending information bombing (a society problem in his opinion) Han suggests that this overload of information has led to a kind of "information…
on “My Bad Habit of Hoarding Information” ↗…who can only act on an unaware object, and cannot deal with a person with her own will. A tale we all live in how tech removed the Big Other from our lives (I have also been reading Byung-Chul Han's "Non-Things" book, which contains similar ideas). "we must not ignore or avoid digital media: their manipulative use is not inherently inscribed into their technology. They can be repurposed for emancipatory purposes…
on “The Pelicot rapes: a new form of perversion (by Slavoj ŽIžek)” ↗I'm reading "Non-things: Upheaval in the Lifeworld" by Byung-Chul Han, who has things to say about it. "Things" are naturally possessions to be owned; the non-things that we as a society are moving towards are information to…
on “If You Can't Hold It, You Don't Own It” ↗