“Digital capitalism is the extension of capitalism not only to data and information, but also to the way everyday life is mediated. Even when you are offline, you are influenced by digital capitalism. For example, algorithmic processes influence how we shop or how much we sleep. And they constantly push us to be authentic individuals – to endlessly express our opinions, to make decisions, to be active and engaged – which can be quite exhausting. This leads to what I refer to as digital lethargy.”
In this interview, media scientist Tung-Hui Hu talks about his understanding of digital capitalism and explains how it is changing our everyday lives. He also addresses the costs that digital capitalism requires: Enormous effort and work are required to keep the system running. This work is done by the people who mine lithium for electronic devices, those who train artificial intelligence, or the warehouse workers who pack and ship devices. This creates a digital underlayer — all the people in the supply chain who are not just removed from view, but intentionally made invisible.
The interview is also well worth reading because of Hu’s assessment of “digital empowerment”, which was perceived as a great opportunity at the beginning of the internet. Everyone should be able to express their opinion freely and thus be heard. Hu now sees these ideas as being appropriated by capitalism and calls for new forms of digital activism.