Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Sean talks with writer and philosopher Ian Bogost about his new book The Small Stuff. They discuss what modern life has lost in its pursuit of convenience, efficiency, and optimization. From stick shifts to coffee cups, lawnmowers, and smartphones, Bogost argues that many of the small sensory experiences that once connected us to the physical world have quietly disappeared.
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Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling)
Guest: Ian Bogost
00:00 Intro
02:35 Why we feel disconnected from the physical world
07:23 Gratification vs. self-indulgence
20:09 Why owning things matters
26:05 How remote work ‘flattens’ our space
35:38 Living in expectation
41:35 Accepting sensory gifts
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Sean talks with writer and philosopher Ian Bogost about his new book The Small Stuff. They discuss what modern life has lost in its pursuit of convenience, efficiency, and optimization. From stick shifts to coffee cups, lawnmowers, and smartphones, Bogost argues that many of the small sensory experiences that once connected us to the physical world have quietly disappeared.
Subscribe to our channel! goo.gl/0bsAjO
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling)
Guest: Ian Bogost
00:00 Intro
02:35 Why we feel disconnected from the physical world
07:23 Gratification vs. self-indulgence
20:09 Why owning things matters
26:05 How remote work ‘flattens’ our space
35:38 Living in expectation
41:35 Accepting sensory gifts
We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show.
And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.
Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members.
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H
