Screen Time: Feminista Jones talks tech and how to unplug
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Photo Illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Feminista Jones
Feminista Jones went from social worker to powerhouse community activist.
- Jones' books, lectures and podcast focus on Black American culture, critical race theory, intersectionality and women's health — to name a few.
- She reaches more than 170,000 followers on Twitter and was named one of Philadelphia Magazine's most influential people in 2020.
Axios chatted with Jones about how she uses technology for work and for fun as part of our recurring Screen Time series. Read on for her picks:
📱 Device of choice: iPhone 13 Pro Max.
👇🏾 First tap of the day: Banking and investment apps. I like to make sure my money is doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing and there isn't any unusual activity.
🎧 Podcast queue: "Last Podcast on the Left," "Today In True Crime," NPR's "Up First," "It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders" and "The NPR Politics Podcast" — but only when Ayesha Rascoe is on.
💬 Most-used non-work app: WhatsApp. Most of my group chats are there, and it's how I prefer to chat with my Android friends.
⏯ Currently streaming: I just finished binge-watching "All Rise," which was a fantastic show.
- Plus: CNN International, "Bel Air," "A Million Little Things." I am absolutely loving "Abbott Elementary."
🎵 On rotation: My top streamed artist is Prince, by leaps and bounds, followed by Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige and A Tribe Called Quest.
📚 Reading list: I am currently in grad school, so all of my reading is essentially academic texts — Cheikh Anta Diop, Molefi Asante, Audre Lorde, and Angela Davis.
- I picked up a few books to take with me on vacation and when I'm traveling to and from speaking engagements: "The Coming" by Daniel Black, "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted" by Jayne Allen, "Sissy Insurgencies: A Racial Anatomy of Unfit Manliness" by Marlon Ross and "The Deep" by Rivers Solomon.
📴 How you unplug: I unplug by leaving my phone at home or in my car. I turned all my notifications off a few months ago, and it has been amazing. I check my phone when I want to.
- Does it mean I miss out on things? Yes. Absolutely, and I love it.
- As frustrating as it is, I'm pushing back against the demands of modern digital interconnectedness and reclaiming my space, time, energy and humanity.