Digital Lethargy

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The exhaustion, disappointment, and listlessness of digital capitalism are examined through contemporary artists, writers, and performers. Interacting with digital platforms often leads to moments of passivity, where we scroll mindlessly or respond with a simple “lol.” Despite the platforms' encouragement to “be yourself,” many prefer to escape their identities. Tung-Hui Hu labels this phenomenon digital lethargy, a condition that affects both users and racialized workers in Asia and the Global South. However, lethargy is not mere apathy; it may foster social change. Hu investigates this concept through various artistic works, including a fictional dystopia where low-wage Mexican workers perform for white audiences, a group encouraging viewers to fake fitness to gain health insurance discounts, and a memoir detailing burnout in an Amazon warehouse. These pieces highlight the ordinariness of digital life, drawing attention to moments of thwarted agency and the experience of waiting. Lethargy, Hu argues, hinders our rush to solutions and compels us to confront the unresolved aspects of our present reality.