Less Screens, More Dirt: Douglas Rushkoff | GP Interview #10
This is the tenth in a series of written interviews with thinkers, artists, activists and other luminaries around the world, people whose life’s work resonates with our founding principles.
Our friend Douglas Rushkoff is a media theorist, writer, columnist, lecturer, graphic novelist, and documentarian. He is best known for his association with the early cyberpunk culture, and his advocacy of open source solutions to social problems.
Though created by humans, our technologies, markets, and institutions often contain an antihuman agenda. In his recent work, Doug attempts to reveal the dynamics of this antihuman machinery and invites us to remake these aspects of society in ways that foster our humanity.
Doug was also kind enough to join us as a speaker way back in the early days of Good People Dinners.
GP: You’re often called a “media theorist” or “digital theorist.” What exactly does that mean? How do you explain what you do to your students at CUNY/Queens?
DR: I don’t really know. Funny how so much about this moment is about us internalizing or justifying how others see us. Even that construction: “you’re often called a media theorist….what does that mean?” I was called a lot of things when I was growing up, and didn’t know what half of…
