Why Sensemaking Matters

Let’s be honest: it’s not looking good.

Humanity is facing an existential crisis, driven by multiple global crises that are threatening our existence. To do something about it, we urgently need to take thoughtful collective action; but we can’t, because we’ve never been more distracted, confused, and fragmented than we are today.

If we can't think, we can't act.

One of the reasons we can’t band together to solve problems like climate change or poverty is that we can no longer think straight. It’s not that we’re stupid, but noisy and polluted information ecosystems (especially online) are distracting us and hampering our ability to make sense of the world.

It's urgent that we free our attention.

At a time when we most need it, we’ve outsourced control of our attention to platforms for the sake of convenience and short-term dopamine spikes. We use platforms, but in return, they’re using us. As users, we’re asleep at the switch: passive consumers of “junk food” information, mindlessly doom-scrolling through tempting eye-candy, ads, and click-bait.

So, what can we do about it?

It’s time to stop behaving like “users.” Instead, let’s become “makers” who take on the responsibility of co-creating the information ecosystems, practices, and tools that enhance our abilities rather than exploit our vulnerabilities.

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Joshua Home

New York Times

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New York Times

We're starting with protocols.

A healthy ecosystem can emerge when a lot of interdependent things can interact based on simple rules. By developing a system of protocols (simple rules) for sense-making instead of more “walled garden” platforms, (maybe, just maybe) we can cultivate a digital information ecosystem that grows past those walls, frees our captured attention, and allows us to think clearly again.