Portals

by Douglas E. Richards

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.”

“We’ve gone from the simple, nomadic lifestyle our brains were evolved to thrive in, working in harmony with close clan-mates, to being plugged in every moment we’re awake. And while plugged in, we’re bombarded with advertisements, social media, and previously unheard-of products, each tailor-made to set a hook in our cheek and reel us in. An entire world vying for our clicks and eyeballs.”

“The highs of cell phones and Twitter and video games are dulling actual life, actual human connection. Causing us to be more depressed and anxious when we’re not engaging with the sources of our addiction.”

The only way to stay in power indefinitely is by keeping the population happy. And prosperous. And the best way to do this is to consistently reward merit and punish crime.

paradoxically, technologies designed to bring people together have done just the opposite, bringing about a massive loss of attention span and human connection. Many of you have lost touch with nature, with simple pleasures. No matter how much technology you have, all you crave is the next advance. Your lives have become hollow, meaningless, and unfulfilling.”

The human psyche isn’t quite ready for these advances, even as you crave them. Instead of building relationships, taking time to enjoy the outdoors, living a simple, fulfilling life, Terrans often rush around with their noses in one electronic device after another, multitasking far beyond the human ability to multitask.

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.”

it should be abundantly clear to everyone that addiction is one of the ultimate curses faced by humanity,

For any civilization to survive, to evolve to the next level, this is a malady we must get control of.