Sep 5, 2024 12:00 PM
To be confirmed
Cancelled

Selective connectivity: The Amish model of digital detoxification from a semiotic point of view

Selective connectivity: The Amish model of digital detoxification from a semiotic point of view

Panel:
[PA] Semiotics of Religion (Jenny Ponzo, Massimo Leone)
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Speaker:
Piero Polidoro
LUMSA University
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The rising interest in digital detoxification highlights a crucial contemporary issue: the complexity of our relationship with technology, balancing its opportunities against inherent risks. This theme, when approached with academic rigor, unveils a fascinating array of interdisciplinary inquiry, especially within the field of semiotics. At the core of this discussion lies a profound reflection on how digital technologies, while offering unprecedented connectivity and access to information, also pose significant challenges to our focus, social values, and overall well-being.The Amish community in the United States presents a unique case study in this realm. Contrary to popular belief, the Amish do not outright reject technology, including digital forms. Their approach is characterized by selective adoption based on communal values— a nuanced negotiation between technology and tradition. Rather than viewing technology as inherently negative, the Amish perspective perceives it as an Opponent only when it hinders essential values such as family cohesion and spiritual focus. For instance, they employ strategies to use technology responsibly, such as using without owning, to avoid the pitfalls of constant availability and the temptations of 'worldly' distractions. This model reframes the narrative roles technology plays in society, prioritizing individual agency and self-regulation (an Opponent of the Opponent) over outright prohibition. It offers a compelling viewpoint for semiotic analysis, challenging prevalent narratives and inviting a reevaluation of the cultural scripts that govern our interaction with the digital world.

Location:
0.410 room, WLS (Dobra 55 street)

Explore Sessions

02
September
9:30
-
10:30
Location:
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
Congress events
Opening Ceremony

September 2, 2024
Congress events
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
02
September
10:30
-
11:30
Location:
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
From Signs of Language to Semioses of Life: Paradigms and Turns in Global Semiotics

September 2, 2024
Mickiewicz Hall, Auditorium Maximum (Krakowskie Przedmiescie 26/28 str.)
02
September
11:30
-
12:15
Location:
Australia Hall, WLS (Dobra 55 street)
Catering
Coffee break [catering]

September 2, 2024
Catering
Australia Hall, WLS (Dobra 55 street)
Piero Polidoro