Too Much Magic by Jason Benlevi

Here's a book that's on my reading list.  It seems society is overloaded by technological gadgets these days, so much so, that many users are dependent on it to a fault.  We see a young generation who are super savvy with electronic devices but definitely lacking in basic communication skills.  And if that's not a shame, the morals and values of our society are disintegrating at a rapid rate.  Of course none of this is all Technology's fault, but the emphasis on plugging in and tuning out has definitely come to fruition.


This book goes behind the scenes of the magical technology curtain and gives us an inside view of what's driving it all and where we can end up if we're not careful.  Remember old sayings like "Too good to be true, "loose lips sink ships" and "Nothing is for free"?  Well it seems those lessons were pushed to the back burner when it comes to new technology use.  "Too Much Magic" shows the price we pay in privacy, child-rearing, relationships, education and other social values we once held to a higher standard. 

Publisher's Description Summary:
"What have you gotten yourself into? Your kids have never known life without a computer. They expect to be entertained everywhere, all the time. Your phone does things you still can't figure out. Everyone is tracking what you buy. People line up to get the newest gadget, yet every movie about the future portrays a tech world-gone-wrong. Yes -- something is wrong with this picture. The problem is not technology itself, but rather those who decide its course. 


Too Much Magic is the story of high-rolling venture capitalists, media moguls and marketeers using digital magic to distract us, invade our privacy, corrupt democracy, distort our human values, and sell us things we don't need. What does it cost us personally? While one generation harbors anxiety about technology, the next generation is incapable of doing anything without it, tethered to its wireless and social networks -- rendered clueless at performing simple tasks, like dating, without going online. Authored by Silicon Valley marketing-communications guru Jason Benlevi, Too Much Magic slices through all aspects of our accelerating digital lifestyle -- explaining how it is changing us, and who really benefits. Here's a clue -- without knowing the tricks, it probably won't be you" -- Publisher's description, p. [4] of cover.


Author Jason Benlevi: 
Let me be clear, I am a long-time lover of technology, I'm just not thrilled with the models that are evolving that are more focused on monetization for what are actually trivial applications of tech...or turning everything we do into just one more way to target people with advertising. We can do better.


Jason Benlevi Interview


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