Alfie Bown

We are in the middle of a 'desirevolution' - a fundamental and political transformation of the way we desire as human beings. Perhaps as always, new technologies - with their associated and inherited political biases - are organising and mapping the future. What we don’t seem to notice is that the primary way in which our lives are being transformed is through the manipulation and control of desire itself.Our very impulses, drives and urges are 'gamified' to suit particular economic and political agendas, changing the way we relate to everything from lovers and friends to food and politicians. Digital technologies are transforming the subject at the deepest level of desire – re-mapping its libidinal economy - in ways never before imagined possible. From sexbots to smart condoms, fitbits to VR simulators and AI to dating algorithms, the 'love industries' are at the heart of the future smart city and the social fabric of everyday life.Alfie Bown's Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships (Pluto Press, 2022) considers these emergent technologies and what they mean for the future of love, desire, work and capitalism.Rudolf Inderst is a professor of Game Design with a focus on Digital Game Studies at the IU International University of Applied Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

We are in the middle of a 'desirevolution' - a fundamental and political transformation of the way we desire as human beings. Perhaps as always, new technologies - with their associated and inherited political biases - are organising and mapping the future. What we don’t seem to notice is that the primary way in which our lives are being transformed is through the manipulation and control of desire itself.Our very impulses, drives and urges are 'gamified' to suit particular economic and political agendas, changing the way we relate to everything from lovers and friends to food and politicians. Digital technologies are transforming the subject at the deepest level of desire – re-mapping its libidinal economy - in ways never before imagined possible. From sexbots to smart condoms, fitbits to VR simulators and AI to dating algorithms, the 'love industries' are at the heart of the future smart city and the social fabric of everyday life.Alfie Bown's Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships (Pluto Press, 2022) considers these emergent technologies and what they mean for the future of love, desire, work and capitalism.Rudolf Inderst is a professor of Game Design with a focus on Digital Game Studies at the IU International University of Applied Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/economics

We are in the middle of a 'desirevolution' - a fundamental and political transformation of the way we desire as human beings. Perhaps as always, new technologies - with their associated and inherited political biases - are organising and mapping the future. What we don’t seem to notice is that the primary way in which our lives are being transformed is through the manipulation and control of desire itself.Our very impulses, drives and urges are 'gamified' to suit particular economic and political agendas, changing the way we relate to everything from lovers and friends to food and politicians. Digital technologies are transforming the subject at the deepest level of desire – re-mapping its libidinal economy - in ways never before imagined possible. From sexbots to smart condoms, fitbits to VR simulators and AI to dating algorithms, the 'love industries' are at the heart of the future smart city and the social fabric of everyday life.Alfie Bown's Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships (Pluto Press, 2022) considers these emergent technologies and what they mean for the future of love, desire, work and capitalism.Rudolf Inderst is a professor of Game Design with a focus on Digital Game Studies at the IU International University of Applied Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

Jason and the gang speak with Alfie Bown about his new book on the "gamification of relationships". https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Lovers.../dp/0745344879 About TIR Thank you for supporting the show! Remember to like and subscribe on YouTube. Also, consider supporting us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/join/BitterLakePresents Check out our official merch store at https://www.thisisrevolutionpodcast.com/ Also follow us on... https://podcasts.apple.com/.../this-is.../id1524576360 www.youtube.com/thisisrevolutionpodcast www.twitch.tv/thisisrevolutionpodcast www.twitch.tv/leftflankvets https://www.facebook.com/Thisisrevolutionpodcast/ Instagram: @thisisrevolutionoakland Follow the TIR Crüe on Twitter: @TIRShowOakland @djenebajalan @DrKuba2 @probert06 @StefanBertramL @MarcusHereMeow Read Jason: https://www.sublationmag.com/writers/jason-myles Read Pascal: https://www.newsweek.com/black-political-elite-serving... Follow: www.sublationmag.com

I chatted with Alfie Bown about his really superb new book Dream Lovers the Gamification of Relationships. It's packed with interesting ideas and theory but is also highly readable and fun. I learnt tons. I chat about the book in the introduction but you can also read more about it (and buy it if you can) at the Pluto Books website https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745344874/dream-lovers/ If you like the show please consider supporting it from £1 a month at patreon.com/culturesexrelationships and you might also want to check out my website justinhancock.co.uk to see about other projects I work on and to find out more about my new coaching service.

Today we're joined by Alfie Bown, lecturer of digital media at Royal Holloway University in London, to talk about his soon-to-be-released book Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships. We really enjoyed reading this book and having discussions about it with each other, then getting to talk to Alfie about it! You can (and should!) pick up the book here: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745344.... You can also follow him on twitter @Leftist_Gamer.Your hosts are Safie and Henry, and this episode will introduce the show, which aims to wherever the hosts are interested. Music is licensed under a Creative Commons license by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

We chat to returning guest Alfie Bown about his new book 'Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships'. We discuss and uncover how Technology, Culture and Politics shapes our wants, needs and desires in ways that are often unexamined. Email us with feedback, questions, suggestions at itsnotjustinyourhead@gmail.com. Become a patron at patreon.com/itsnotjustinyourhead to gain early access  to episodes, our discord server, and monthly reading/discussion groups. Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships (Out May 20th): https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745344898/dream-lovers/ Previous episode with Alfie '#70: Videogames & programmable desire!' : https://www.patreon.com/posts/60288828 ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message:  This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of  the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical  advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any  health decisions or management.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/itsnotjustinyourhead/message

Big tech companies tell us they’re our servants, existing to fulfill our desires more cheaply and conveniently than ever. Alfie Bown doesn’t think so. He thinks Deliveroo, Tinder, Pornhub  etc. aren’t just giving us what we want, they’re shaping what we want. He reckons our tech overlords are secretly remaking humankind on the level of desire.  We chat about Chinese cars that know what you want to eat and why time travellers don’t get horny.  Bown is the author of a new book called Dream Lovers: The Gamification of Relationships Support the show

Pixel Politics The Podcast an educational podcast inviting guests from within politics, history and gaming to sit down and talk about everything political and historical about games. In this episode, we talk to Dr Alfie Bown lecturer at Royal Holloway, University of London about political ideology in video games.Visit www.pixelpolitics.co.uk/ for more educational tools designed to teach you about politics and history through video games.Check out and follow our social media pages:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixe1politics/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pixe1politicsFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/pixe1politics

Matt (@mattpolprof) calls up Alfie Bown (@Leftist_Gamer) to discuss the politics, psychoanalytic interpretation, and emancipatory potential of video games, for the left-brained. Check out Alfie's stuff at everydayanalysis.net