I'm new to Pirate Wires, but just read this and feel you captured something I've been trying to describe. A sense that the pace of information creation, spread and sharing has exceeded our ability to process it. And while we should pause, reflect, wait for the details...the FOMO from the social element means too often we don't. It's a dangerous trend as you point out.
Thank you for this essay! A truly excellent discussion of a complex issue, often shrouded by the technological utopianism of many in SV and elsewhere. The nature of the problem, from a sociological and psychological perspective, is not new, but something that is new is the speed with which it can manifest and the scale to which it can grow.
As long as you don't have significant censorship, the speed problem is not likely to overwhelm us. For nearly all things in life, you will invariably have two similar size opposing groups with one battling the other. It's only when you block one group from participating that bad decisions can be made quickly.
The unfortunate problem with the act of calming down as a cultural institution is that it is not...emotionally potent and salable.
Here comes Dostoevsky's underground man - shower him with every earthly blessing such that he has nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes and busy himself with the continuation of the species, he would rather risk his cakes and tear it all done just to prove to himself that his will amounts to something.
We are programmed to need adventures to sustain our lives. The allure of massive online movements is that it offers cheap, counterfeit senses of adventure and meaning - a lot easier than seeking actual adventures in our personal lives.
My sense is this war can't be won purely on the defensive. It needs an offensive, that somehow lets people rediscover and pursue the adventures in their lives, without falling pray to the same tactics of mass hysteria. I see technology and innovation as a glimmer of hope, but that alone is clearly not enough.
Great writing and sharp thinking. Thank you. World on fire made me think of global firefighters. Another take on the offense sentiment from the above comment. New levels and nuances around experts, people that can find a sense of purpose in keeping the fires down. I'm not advocating for a central group but as a way of operations. As a new set of early adopters that enable the firefighting practice.
Fascinating take, but You may be underestimating the degree to which prior mass media generated their own moments of mass hysteria and the degree to which even today’s globally interconnected media are still segregated by things like language and nationality and even geography
I'm new to Pirate Wires, but just read this and feel you captured something I've been trying to describe. A sense that the pace of information creation, spread and sharing has exceeded our ability to process it. And while we should pause, reflect, wait for the details...the FOMO from the social element means too often we don't. It's a dangerous trend as you point out.
Thank you for this essay! A truly excellent discussion of a complex issue, often shrouded by the technological utopianism of many in SV and elsewhere. The nature of the problem, from a sociological and psychological perspective, is not new, but something that is new is the speed with which it can manifest and the scale to which it can grow.
Good essay!
I'd have loved a discussion of the physical reality of the jumping experiment though.
Wow. Just an amazing first read on PW here, thank you. As a result, I’ll be doing a talk w my company re: confirmation bias this week.
As long as you don't have significant censorship, the speed problem is not likely to overwhelm us. For nearly all things in life, you will invariably have two similar size opposing groups with one battling the other. It's only when you block one group from participating that bad decisions can be made quickly.
Great essay.
The unfortunate problem with the act of calming down as a cultural institution is that it is not...emotionally potent and salable.
Here comes Dostoevsky's underground man - shower him with every earthly blessing such that he has nothing else to do but sleep, eat cakes and busy himself with the continuation of the species, he would rather risk his cakes and tear it all done just to prove to himself that his will amounts to something.
We are programmed to need adventures to sustain our lives. The allure of massive online movements is that it offers cheap, counterfeit senses of adventure and meaning - a lot easier than seeking actual adventures in our personal lives.
My sense is this war can't be won purely on the defensive. It needs an offensive, that somehow lets people rediscover and pursue the adventures in their lives, without falling pray to the same tactics of mass hysteria. I see technology and innovation as a glimmer of hope, but that alone is clearly not enough.
Excellent read….I’m one of those who never stepped on the Twitter wagon and very grateful I didn’t.
Great writing and sharp thinking. Thank you. World on fire made me think of global firefighters. Another take on the offense sentiment from the above comment. New levels and nuances around experts, people that can find a sense of purpose in keeping the fires down. I'm not advocating for a central group but as a way of operations. As a new set of early adopters that enable the firefighting practice.
Fascinating take, but You may be underestimating the degree to which prior mass media generated their own moments of mass hysteria and the degree to which even today’s globally interconnected media are still segregated by things like language and nationality and even geography