Program or Be Programmed

I was recently cleaning out some digital files, and found some materials I had developed for secondary students focusing on Douglas Rushkoff’s 2011 book Program or Be Programmed: Ten Commands for a Digital Age. The work arrived on bookstore shelves a decade ago, but the rules for digital life seem as relevant today as back then:

  • Do Not Be “Always On”
  • Live in Person
  • You May Always Choose “None of the Above”
  • You Are Never Completely Right
  • One Size Does Not Fit All
  • Be Yourself
  • Do Not Sell Your Friends
  • Tell the Truth
  • Share, Don’t Steal
  • Program or Be Programmed

On second thought, the list seems even more timely today.