Hello.
I’m writing to tell you all about Resistor Case. http://resistorcase.org .
It’s a DIY smartphone case made of upcycled fabric and rivets, and its secret is a VERY loud velcro enclosure. I developed it in the Critical Media Lab after years of research on critical making and “digital abstinence.” Resistor Case is usually fabricated as part of a workshop that encourages careful and critical thinking about the role of technology in our lives. I initially designed it for high school classrooms, but it’s also great for board rooms, the dinner table, the nightstand, the car, and sidewalks.
You can read more about it in my article for The Atlantic:
And also in this piece in the Globe and Mail:
What matters with Resistor Case is that you make it yourself. The fabrication is a sign that you are willing to make a change, to you use your hands (and a hammer) for something other than pressing buttons. Resistor Case provides an embodied experience designed to provoke change.
This is not an ad for an accessory. Resistor Case is part of a larger research project that involves media theory, cognitive science, and other disciplines. I was inspired to create it after doing research on how Yondr has been implemented (with moderate success) in classrooms (https://www.overyondr.com/).
I have written too much here already. I just want to suggest that Resistor Case could be a great iconic product, an activity and a movement that could showcase and promote new digital habits. I call them digital rituals.
Thank you for your attention. My motto is “Don’t pay attention – MAKE attention” (in French, we say “faire” attention, which translates literally as “make attention,” which takes attention out of the stream of financial transaction).
Cheers.
m.