We are living through a movement from an organic…
““We are living through a movement from an organic, industrial society to a polymorphous, information system,” wrote Donna Haraway, “from all work to all play, a deadly game.”10 With the growing significance of immaterial labor, and the concomitant increase in cultivation and exploitation of play—creativity, innovation, the new, the singular, flexibility, the supplement—as a productive force, play will become more and more linked to broad social structures of control. Today we are no doubt witnessing the end of play as politically progressive, or even politically neutral.)””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The shift from industrial to informational societies turns work into play, but this play becomes a tool of control and exploitation.
In simple terms: Work increasingly resembles play, yet can be controlled.
Key Takeaway
Stay critical of play as a control mechanism.
Themes
technology
play
control
labor
Mood
critical
analytical
skeptical
Type
Playful:1
Power:1
Work play:0
End Play:0
Play Politically:0
Exploitation Play:0
Immaterial Labor:0
When to use this quote
- media analysis
- workplace design
- policy making
Key Concepts
immaterial labor
social structures
critical theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does play in your field influence power dynamics?
- Can play be truly liberating?
A Different Perspective
None; play can mask exploitation.