Antidote for Technology
“We’re training and conditioning a whole new generation of people that when we are uncomfortable or lonely or uncertain or afraid, we have a digital pacifier for ourselves. That is kind of atrophying our own ability to deal with that.” - Tristan Harris, former design ethicist at Google and co-founder of Centre for Humane Technologies
I recently watched the brilliant Netflix documentary Social Dilemma, a deeply disturbing and refreshingly honest investigation of the detriments of social media and technology on society.
The psychological dependence and addictive properties of social media, virtual reality and video games have been documented, yet comprehensive research on the long-term effects of such technology on human behavior has not been explored. Such a scientific study is likely unpopular with the multi-billion dollar tech companies.
I understand my opinions are not popular in today’s hyper-connected ‘Augmented Reality’ world, yet I cannot help but feel fearful for a future society utterly dependent on technological stimuli. The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loop created by our interactions with technology supplant real world human connection, and the resultant positive benefits of multigenerational interpersonal relationships: empathy, compassion, kindness, respect for elders (and our fellow humans), committed and loving partnerships, and an open mind infused with critical thinking skills.
Instead, our society has become more polarized, more aggressive, more bullying, less educated, and less tolerant of those who do not think and look like us. Virtual reality is quickly replacing connection and reverence for the real world, our planet Earth, which desperately needs our attention so we can heal the environmental damage and build a sustainable world for all of its inhabitants.
Created by a small group of designers ultimately motivated by profit, the big technology industries readily admit that they are engaged in mass social engineering and the manipulation of human consciousness. It is my firm belief that the best antidote for this artificial reality is engagement in the study of music and the arts on an organic level (piano, singing, painting, etc.). By reconnecting our body, mind and spirit through (non-digital) creative practices, we can reclaim our inherent humanity and heal ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet.
Your Brain Will Thank You for Being a Musician
Music training promotes neuroplasticity, the ability for the brain to change and grow throughout life.
“If something is a tool, it genuinely is just sitting there, waiting patiently. If something is not a tool it's demanding things from you. It's seducing you, it’s manipulating you, it wants things from you. We've moved away from a tools based technology environment, to an addiction and manipulation used technology environment. Social media isn't a tool waiting to be used. It has its own goals, and it has its own means of pursuing them by using your psychology against you.” - Tristan Harris, former design ethicist at Google and co-founder of Centre for Humane Technologies
