Spring is here—

What will it bring? More luddites in the street, presumably—equinox rituals on Mount Prospect (3/20) to be sure, and artists plotting their exit from social media (3/26). Also community-wide, open discussions, like Jon Haidt and Ava Smithing connecting the dots between kids' safety and other nodes of this ecosystem (3/31).

And then on the April horizon—

A parade (4/1), a talk with a congressional candidate (4/7), another LET'S GET OFF party (4/10), and more to emerge as we keep coming together.

Yours, with potential—

—Nick

★ ★ ★

Rest of March & the April horizon

Wed., Mar. 18, 25, Apr. 1 | Attention Activism 201 "ORGANIZING" @ 7 p.m., online

ATTENTION ACTIVISM is the collective movement to push back against the commodification of human attention—what we call "human fracking"—and create, space by community space, a world where we can flourish. In this course, we will explore practical strategies for ATTENTION ACTIVISM, drawing on texts by bell hooks, Paulo Freire, and Deva Woodly. We'll also focus on developing the organizing, facilitation, and movement-building skills required to build groups for ATTENTION ACTIVISM. The bulk of the course will be dedicated to supporting participants toward an organizing project in their own communities.

Completion of our Attention Activism 101 seminar is required for participation in our 201 training. Participants who complete Attention Activism 201 will be eligible for inclusion in our national organizing coalition.

Sign up at https://www.schoolofattention.org/enroll/.

Thu., Mar. 19 | Design It for Us: Monthly Coalition Call @ 5:30 p.m., online

Design It for Us (DIFU) is a community of young people (26 and under) from around the world fighting to hold Big Tech accountable and improve our digital ecosystems.

Members are encouraged to attend monthly calls to learn more about state and federal tech policy, join campaigns, and directly advocate for legislative change.

Join here.

Thu., Mar. 19 | Offline Book Club: Enshittification @ 6:30 p.m., Stavros Library (SNFL) 4th Floor, Room 405

Stop scrolling and put down your phone… SNFL's Offline Book Club is a space for in-person conversation about the role technology plays in our world. Each month highlights a different book on the topic of technology's impact on our individual lives as well as society as a whole, followed by an open discussion to share recent experiences and observations.

Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow—The new dirty word that describes the pattern behind digital platforms progressively getting worse and worse for users. But we don't need to curse our fate; there may still be things we can do about it.

Space is limited. Walk-ins welcome, but priority will be given to those who register in advance.

Fri., Mar. 20 | Spring Equinox @ 5 p.m., Mount Prospect Park

It's spring! Come celebrate with Chimeras Collective.

We’ll be tapping into the balance-abilities of birds and squirrels as well as the sun-sympathy of spring ephemera. Bring your tallest things (stepladder, stilettos, stilts, etc) and your balance-buddies (slackline, exercise ball, roller skates). Plus, a collaborative curse we’ll place on Equinox the fitness chain for sullying the name of such a sacred day with the greasy touch of luxury consumption.

All are welcome; just show up. (But you can email kyletuhr@proton.me with questions.)

Fri., Mar. 20 | PATTERN RECOGNITION @ 7 p.m., Upper West Side

A series of studies taking a closer look at video games as a medium.

Let's explore how we can experience games in more meaningful and intentional ways, disambiguate them from their industry: one that is ripe with exploitation of our attention, time, and money. Join to see if we can pull these things apart and find something worth engaging with.

Facilitated by social worker and organizer Colin Yaccarino.

RSVP for more info.

Tue., Mar. 24 | Attention Lab "COALITION" @ 6:30 p.m., DUMBO

The School of Radical Attention's flagship "Attention Labs" are experiential, participatory workshops dedicated to the joint exploration of human attention. Through group attention practices and guided discussions, we create and test tools to rebuild the art of sustained attention, which has been under attack by persuasive technologies.

This lab's focus is COALITION: the collective potential of attention activism.

Sign up for any lab here.

Thu., Mar. 26 | Unplatform: Creatives Workshop @ 6:30 p.m., 875 Third Ave.

Come talk to other artists, writers, musicians, and other creatives about your relationship to social media and how to create a world where creative life is free from extractive platforms.

Full event page and RSVP here.

Sun., Mar. 29 | LIFE IS WATCHING (Earth Chxrch) @ 7 p.m., 15 Rutherford Pl.

An evening of performance and celebration, praise and polemics. Featuring the Rude Mechanical Orchestra.

RSVP and more here.

Mon., Mar. 30 | Deplatform "WATCHING" @ 6 p.m., Online

Why rely on a monthly subscription to watch TV shows and movies? Is this the only way to watch? Wanna find something else to consume with your eyes while you consume with your mouth??? This online presentation explores alternatives to relying on companies for video content.

Online. Email knavehaven@pm.me to RSVP.

Tue., Mar. 31 | 'Left to Their Own Devices'—Conversation w/ Jon Haidt @ 6 p.m., Bollinger Forum at Columbia

What does it take to build a digital world that actually serves the people in it? Join us for a timely and free evening with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation.

This special event features Haidt in conversation with Ava Smithing, Gen-Z host of Left to Their Own Devices, for a discussion about what changes when young people get a say in the laws that shape their digital lives.

Following a live audience Q&A, attendees are invited to a community organization showcase featuring ways to get involved with the groups working on the front lines of digital rights, online safety, youth advocacy, tech accountability, and public-interest technology.

More info, and RSVP here.

Wed., Apr. 1 | St. Stupid's Day Parade @ 1 p.m., Zucotti Park

This is the 4th annual East Coast St. Stupids Day (50th on the West Coast—we are taking over with our stupidness). Come celebrate with RMO. Bring your old socks.

Wed., Apr. 1 | NYPL Attention Lab & ATTENSITY Book Talk @ 3:30 p.m. / 6:30 p.m., Stavros Library (SNFL) 7th Floor Event Center

Join D. Graham Burnett, Alyssa Loh, and Peter Schmidt for a two-part program celebrating the public library as attention sanctuary.

In the evening book talk, learn how to opt out of the dehumanizing churn of the attention economy, and discover the freedom to imagine and create more nourishing ways of being, as explored in their recently-released book Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement.

Prior to the discussion, join the daytime Attention Lab for hands-on exploration of the Friends of Attention's work (limited availability / in-person only).

Mon., Apr. 6 | Month Offline Expo @ 7:00 p.m., telos.haus

Phone-free gallery exhibition to celebrate the second NYC cohort of Month Offline going 30 days with a dumbphone. Want to hear what it was like? Join the celebration.

NO PHONES! Leave @ home or place it in a pouch once you arrive. Event is free.

Dumbcurious? Interested in taking a month offline? visit offline.community or call 1-844-OFFLINE.

Tue., Apr. 7 | Evening with Alex Bores @ TBD, Columbia

NY State Representative Alex Bores is running for Congress. A former Palantir employee and now an outspoken critic of the company, his campaign is pushing against Big Tech.

Bores will be having an open discussion with students and recent grads on Columbia's campus. Space is limited for non-Columbia participants, so please fill out this interest form as soon as you can.

Fri., Apr. 10 | LET'S GET OFF TOGETHER @ 9 p.m., telos.haus

We're getting off again—

If it's your first time, you can RSVP now for updates.

★ ★ ★

Weekly Resources

Every Sun. | CIRCLE TIME (Parallel Play) @ 4 p.m., Bushwick

You always want to ask people what they're working on at the cafe? NOW YOU CAN! This is Circle Time. Sundays, BYOPP (bring your own passion project) and prepare to share.

Format: Intros → Focus Time → Optional show & tell

Hosted by Rebecca Lipsitch of How Do We Play.

More info here!

First and Third Sun. | Date with Détournement @ 9 p.m., Various Locations

Join public art projects that push back against alienating tech.

First and third Sundays.

sighren.ludd@proton.me if you want in.

Every Wed. | Technocritical Writers Room @ 10 a.m. / 7 p.m., Hybrid

Writers from across the community engage in generative sessions to share stories, visualize futures, and push critiques of digital technology towards new action. This month's schedule—

March 18

• Wednesday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Jefferson Market Library, NYC
• Wednesday, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Email for call link.

March 25

• Wednesday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Jefferson Market Library, NYC
• Wednesday, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Email for call link.

Facilitated by artist and organizer Amalia Mayorga. Email rosemayorga@proton.me for more.

Every Wed. | Phone-Free Adelphi @ 7 p.m., Fort Greene

Screen-free night of creativity from 7 to 9 p.m. We turn off our phones, work on something creative together, then talk about the experience.

Capped at 10 people. Please only come if you can stay the whole evening!

Stay up to date and RSVP for any week using this form. Email danmaxfox@gmail.com with questions.

Every Fri. | Crafternoon @ 1:30 p.m., Stavros Library (SNFL) First Floor Corner Space

Two hours of freeform crafting and conversation every week at the midtown Manhattan library. Bring your own project. We have tools and materials for sewing, painting, fiber, and paper arts, and are always happy to assist you in finding books related to your creative interests. Walk-ins welcome. More info here.