Portals

by Douglas E. Richards

On average across the globe, human beings are wealthier, healthier, more literate, longer lived, and safer than at any time in history. But, ironically, we’re also more pessimistic and stressed out than ever before. Many of us feel like hamsters running on a never-ending but ever-accelerating wheel. “Because of this rising stress, more and more of us are seeking an escape, and there are more and more avenues of addiction to turn to. And addiction itself dramatically increases stress, resulting in a nightmarish vicious circle.”

“we’re more polarized than ever, more propagandized than ever. And this is only getting worse as new tech, especially social media and 24/7 news, divide us. First, we’re each getting individualized news feeds, so no two debaters are even working from the same set of facts, the same objective reality. And social media provides an anonymous platform to spew venom, to unleash our worst selves on each other, bypassing the normal restraints that evolution has built into us when interacting in person.”

Do you know why you aren’t charged to use social media platforms? Because you aren’t the customer. You’re the product.”

We’re now immersed in what’s being called The Attention Economy. Because the real end game of so many corporations and tech titans is to capture your attention. Addict you so you can be precisely targeted by advertisers, politicians, and others who want to influence or manipulate you. Turning you into a puppet.”

The scholarly term is Intermittent Variable Rewards. Which simply means that unpredictability has great power to addict. Because we have an innate evolutionary compulsion to know. Is it something good or bad? Does it bode well, or is it a harbinger of doom?”

“The word addiction is from the Latin,” said Singh. “Its original meaning is enslaved by or bound to. Which sums things up nicely. When you enjoy a substance or behavior in moderation, one that brings you pleasure and does you no harm, that’s healthy. When you become enslaved by your phone, opioids, or Twitter on the other hand—even as they’re ruining your life—that’s addiction.”

“Imagine numbing your taste buds so only the hottest of hot sauces even register. In that case, the normal foods we loved before become as bland as unflavored mush. But addicts aren’t numbing their taste buds. They’re numbing their pleasure centers. So without the source of their addiction, they’re more prone to negative emotions like stress, anxiety, and depression.”

But you know what they say, bathing is the first casualty of war.” “I thought truth was the first casualty of war.” “No, it’s bathing,” she replied with a smile. “Truth is the first casualty of politics.”

“Because in your political system, neither brilliance, nor even basic competence, seem to be prerequisites for getting elected to an office. Instead, the skills required seem to be popularity, and an ability to lie shamelessly with every breath, make false promises, and trash your opponents.”

over the past fifty of your years, you’ve improved your health, longevity, literacy, quality of life, prosperity, and everything else. Dramatically. Yet almost all of you believe the opposite is true. Why? Because your news and social media is almost all negative. All alarming. All divisive. You’ve become more pessimistic, more tribal, than ever before. Your politicians ever more corrupt, manipulative, and self-serving.”

“In my own view,” I continued, “the only people qualified to help govern are those who have no interest in doing so. Those who need a metaphorical gun put to their heads to get them to accept the job. Anyone who actively seeks out these roles shouldn’t be allowed to have them. I admire the fact that your council members can’t nominate themselves. That you’re here to serve, and for no other reason. “By diligently following this model, and given Haven’s inspirational goals, we believe we can create a society where purpose will reign supreme—not politics.”