This paper looks at the idea of (in)attention as a productive modality of interaction with digital technologies. It understands (in)attention not just as incomprehension of our technologies but also as some kind of ‘absorbed engagement’ that may entail a variety of conceptualizations of technology (for example, a composer might not necessarily understand how a certain piece of software works in the same way as a programmer does and still be able to produce music with it). By focusing on examples of ‘creative’ engagement with digital technologies this paper questions ideas of ‘comprehension’ and ‘creativity’ in terms of different cuts introduced in the techno-human complex and explores the relationship between anxiety, the unpredictability of technology and creativity.

Federica Frabetti is Principal Lecturer in Digital Media at the University of Roehampton. She completed an MRes and PhD in Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has a diverse professional and academic background in the humanities and ICT and has worked for a decade as a Software Engineer in telecommunications companies. She has published numerous articles on the cultural study of technology, digital media and software studies, and cultural theory. She is the author of Software Studies (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015).​