Slow Media - Do you control your device or does your device control you?

I'm digitally disappointed. I tend to see the Internet and cell phones as simply more clutter in my life. I use them both sparingly. It turns out I'm not alone. I've stumbled upon a developing movement taking root even amongst people in their 20s and 30s. Just as the slow food movement tries to reconnect people to a more natural relationship with the food they eat, the slow media movement aims to reconnect humans to their intrinsic humanity by diminishing distractedness, multitasking, and fidgeting currently wrought by a myriad of technological devices and new media. They argue that the current trend of incessantly needing to update a Facebook or MySpace page, post a tweet, text message friends, and surf the Internet in general is having a detrimental effect on the quality of our lives. They want to slow things down a bit and not let technology and gadgets run riot throughout our society. Below, I've listed some titles owned by the Austin Public Library associated with the slow media movement as well as an exceptional blog on the subject.

Blog:

http://slowmedia.typepad.com/

Books:

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less

In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed

Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It

The Myth of Multitasking: How Doing it All Gets Nothing Done

The Tyranny of Email: The Four-Thousand Year Journey to Your Inbox (on order)