I am reminded of former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris from the Netflix special "The Social Dilemma." (the irony of pairing "Google" with "ethicist" is not lost). Harris has quoted the late E.O. Wilson (biologist/researcher/two-time Pulitzer winner) about our current state. Wilson said ...
I am reminded of former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris from the Netflix special "The Social Dilemma." (the irony of pairing "Google" with "ethicist" is not lost). Harris has quoted the late E.O. Wilson (biologist/researcher/two-time Pulitzer winner) about our current state. Wilson said ...
"We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall."
It does seem like the developing brain (emotions) is incapable of handling its own creation (technology), and we are ill-prepared (institutions) to help catch up. It seems to me young peoples' reality lies within their phones, and the ramifications are profound. It is evident now, with ever-increasing diagnoses of social pathologies -- depression, anxiety, gender confusion, etc.
Kids are checking out. And they are checking out earlier and earlier. This piece provides a salient view of that ... delayed adolescence, declining social connections (falling birth and marriage rates), culture wars. Like others here, I don't have an answer. What can one say? "Follow your dreams" when those dreams have fallen into the abyss of social media?
There is a bunch of social science that resulted om E.O. Wilson's brilliant work, including Iain McGilchrist's latest two volume, 1,500 page book on brain science and evolutionary psychology.
Near the end of the PBS (USA public TV) documentary on his work, Wilson states that "the human species is dysfunctional", for the reasons he stated in the quote you provided.
But humans have a very "plastic" cognitive system, adaptable to change, and there are already people proposing how to adapt to the present crisis on the basis of brain science:
I am reminded of former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris from the Netflix special "The Social Dilemma." (the irony of pairing "Google" with "ethicist" is not lost). Harris has quoted the late E.O. Wilson (biologist/researcher/two-time Pulitzer winner) about our current state. Wilson said ...
"We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall."
It does seem like the developing brain (emotions) is incapable of handling its own creation (technology), and we are ill-prepared (institutions) to help catch up. It seems to me young peoples' reality lies within their phones, and the ramifications are profound. It is evident now, with ever-increasing diagnoses of social pathologies -- depression, anxiety, gender confusion, etc.
Kids are checking out. And they are checking out earlier and earlier. This piece provides a salient view of that ... delayed adolescence, declining social connections (falling birth and marriage rates), culture wars. Like others here, I don't have an answer. What can one say? "Follow your dreams" when those dreams have fallen into the abyss of social media?
I shake my head. I'm at a loss.
There is a bunch of social science that resulted om E.O. Wilson's brilliant work, including Iain McGilchrist's latest two volume, 1,500 page book on brain science and evolutionary psychology.
Near the end of the PBS (USA public TV) documentary on his work, Wilson states that "the human species is dysfunctional", for the reasons he stated in the quote you provided.
But humans have a very "plastic" cognitive system, adaptable to change, and there are already people proposing how to adapt to the present crisis on the basis of brain science:
https://metarationality.com/stem-fluidity-bridge
Thank you for the feedback and link. Very much appreciated.
Glad you liked it.
I have that Wilson quote written down.