This is an opinion piece in Dagens Nyheter. The author is responsible for the opinions in the article.
A key on my keyboard no longer works properly. Suddenly every email takes a little longer and a vague feeling of frustration sets in. But it also shapes my writing. I have to press the button with force, direction and conviction.
Much of our exploration of the world otherwise occurs on autopilot. We listen to ready-made Spotify playlists instead of searching through CD drawers, we don’t navigate file-sharing sites that require time and patience, but the algorithms tell us what we want on our “for you” social media pages. As Andres Lokko noted in SvD (18/1), the AI songs in the top charts may be the music we deserve.
We live in a time of home delivery, chat GPT and optimized consumption – designed to create the least resistance. But in an age so focused on simplicity, accessibility and convenience, aren’t we gradually losing sight of what is most fundamental to being human? That’s what journalist Kathryn Jezer-Morton thinks in The Cut (3/1) and argues that we should build a tolerance for inconvenience and discomfort. She writes: “2026 is the year we will maximize friction.”
Small everyday things that seem insignificant, like wondering what to pack for the trip or writing an email to Chat GPT, cause us to turn away from life itself
Constantly searching Shortcuts mean we miss out on the satisfaction of doing something difficult and perhaps even finding meaning. Small everyday things that seem insignificant, like asking Chat GPT what to pack for the trip or writing an email, cause us to turn away from life itself, believes Jezer-Morton. Therefore we should maximize friction.
In the design world, the idea of resistance in our encounter with media, technology and visual culture has already been implemented in the concept of “design friction”. It’s a reaction to the fact that both hardware and software have had so many of their sharp edges removed and become so user-friendly that we’re never confronted with the machine behind the interface.
The concept is a way to honor friction and highlight how it enriches us. But it’s probably more common for us to become irritated when faced with everyday problems that don’t have an immediate solution. Because having to think independently requires resistance. And maybe a small resistance can lead to a larger one?
Kathryn Jezer-Morton takes off as the big tech companies in Silicon Valley like to have us believe, it is our very thinking that stands in the way of all the fantastic solutions they have to offer. The solution to maximum productivity is not yet perfect adaptation to digital services and full access to our information. But it must therefore happen at the expense of, yes, us. Because surely you need an app that tells you when you’re hungry so you don’t have to feel it yourself?
If we stop expecting a smooth solution to our lives and choose to outsource our autonomy, time could slow down. The digital convenience trap saves time, but we lose all the micro-stops that force the mind to be present. The smoother life becomes, the less memorable it becomes.
A role model is the sloth Flash in the animated film “Zootropolis”, who, fittingly, also works at the Swedish Transport Authority
The patience that comes from constant elements of friction in everyday life could, at least in theory, lead to anti-accelerationism. A role model is the sloth Flash in the animated film “Zootropolis”, who, fittingly, also works at the Swedish Transport Authority. The harried customers are forced to wait politely for Flash to finish his sentences and complete his tasks at a leisurely pace. A discomfort and a sense of humor that reveals that things are actually happening much too quickly for everyone and that it’s Flash who has a sensible pace of life.
Without friction you lose We also learn basic ways to deal with adversity, grief, and frustration. We lose understanding of the feeling of accomplishment when we complete a task or the calm that comes when discomfort subsides. Therefore, the trend of introducing less conflict and conscious inefficiency into everyday life is perhaps the most important of the year.
The trill key on my computer must become an initial small resistance that will hopefully grow into a new understanding of my own humanity. In general, but optimistic, be upset.
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