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Do you feel technology and politics contribute to society in a positive manner or do you feel they are becoming increasingly more controlling/negative?
While the article is a couple of years old I do feel a paradigm shift is approaching as politics and technology have become the dominate voices in society. As such society seems to be evolving into a state of "perpetually triggered" with it eroding the shibboleth that a desirable existence is possible in "the pursuit of happiness". What are your thoughts and ideas in mitigating the negatives and or encouraging the positive uses of technology and politics.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4761458/Ex-Facebook-exec-says-society-collapse-30-years.html
While the article is a couple of years old I do feel a paradigm shift is approaching as politics and technology have become the dominate voices in society. As such society seems to be evolving into a state of "perpetually triggered" with it eroding the shibboleth that a desirable existence is possible in "the pursuit of happiness". What are your thoughts and ideas in mitigating the negatives and or encouraging the positive uses of technology and politics.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4761458/Ex-Facebook-exec-says-society-collapse-30-years.html
Posted in these groups: 
Technology
Political Organization
Future
Geopolitics / International Relations
Society
Technology Political Organization Future Geopolitics / International Relations Society
Edited 6 y ago
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 5
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SPC David S. Like anything Else, Technology can be Used and Abused. 21 Years as a Spook, Involved in Electronic Warfare definitely Influences My Opinion.
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The problem with technology is not the technology. It is the same problem we have always had with communication in general. Technology allows for it to approach the speed of light! Add into the mix the foul world of politics and the sham show hits light-speed as well. It is now who can broadcast their message the proverbial loudest. Now enter the technology companies who have taken sides in the political arena and all of a sudden a megaphone is put on certain messages while others are gagged. This seriously distorts the reality and can push whole groups of people in certain directions.
Right now, we depend on large corporation to get the right algorithms for search on the net. Unfortunately, these algorithms come with human biases built in. Again, another skew to the truth. Until we get semi-AI personal secretaries that can search the web for us, bypassing the search engines, we are stuck in this world of skewed results.
I believe at some point we will hit a critical mass of rejection and the pendulum will swing the other way. As technology progresses I believe humanity will fracture into information tribes; each believing their information is correct. The tribes will coexist with their information neighbors and maybe the next set of neighbors (left and right) but the extreme ends of the spectrum will still be the extreme of the spectrum.
I believe that every human was born with good in their heart. They want to survive and perpetuate the human species. I also believe that we typically maintain enough population in the middle ground tribes to be successful at this drive. I also believe that we no longer have a century to ease into the next (r)evolution (renaissance, industrial info, etc). The info age was the last age for that long of a timeline. We are now in the decades and even single digit years to measure change. And humans resist change! Unless they embrace change. I think that generation will begin being born over the next 20 years.
Right now, we can't fix it. We need to let evolution fix it. And evolution will become measured in single decades instead of centuries or eons. Learn to swim - or drown. As far as the pursuit of happiness goes; you need to define happiness and pursue it. Vigorously!
Right now, we depend on large corporation to get the right algorithms for search on the net. Unfortunately, these algorithms come with human biases built in. Again, another skew to the truth. Until we get semi-AI personal secretaries that can search the web for us, bypassing the search engines, we are stuck in this world of skewed results.
I believe at some point we will hit a critical mass of rejection and the pendulum will swing the other way. As technology progresses I believe humanity will fracture into information tribes; each believing their information is correct. The tribes will coexist with their information neighbors and maybe the next set of neighbors (left and right) but the extreme ends of the spectrum will still be the extreme of the spectrum.
I believe that every human was born with good in their heart. They want to survive and perpetuate the human species. I also believe that we typically maintain enough population in the middle ground tribes to be successful at this drive. I also believe that we no longer have a century to ease into the next (r)evolution (renaissance, industrial info, etc). The info age was the last age for that long of a timeline. We are now in the decades and even single digit years to measure change. And humans resist change! Unless they embrace change. I think that generation will begin being born over the next 20 years.
Right now, we can't fix it. We need to let evolution fix it. And evolution will become measured in single decades instead of centuries or eons. Learn to swim - or drown. As far as the pursuit of happiness goes; you need to define happiness and pursue it. Vigorously!
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SPC David S.
Great response - I sure hope this is all just turbulence that will self correct. My fear is that with every fall of a society their was always some sort off societal disruption mixed in with some other type of disruption (climate, war etc). I'm curious if this injection of big data into society is such a societal disruption however on a global scale.
I really find it mind blowing that I can find out about a bombing in Syria - via YPJ on Facebook - within minutes of it happening. I feel that such speed of light communication can be good - however like you stated - in the wrong hands it can be very destructive.
There is a study, which I have not read yet entirely, however it reiterates your thoughts rather precisely - "the greatest benefits to be made potentially over the next decades, as well as the most dangerous pitfalls to be avoided, lie in the domain of social fabric." We really need to get a hold of the reigns in regards to "information/disinformation" as its impacts according to this study far out weight other areas of what we have traditionally perceived as paramount. Economic or government stability far less important than social fabric.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/ [login to see] 5.htm
I really find it mind blowing that I can find out about a bombing in Syria - via YPJ on Facebook - within minutes of it happening. I feel that such speed of light communication can be good - however like you stated - in the wrong hands it can be very destructive.
There is a study, which I have not read yet entirely, however it reiterates your thoughts rather precisely - "the greatest benefits to be made potentially over the next decades, as well as the most dangerous pitfalls to be avoided, lie in the domain of social fabric." We really need to get a hold of the reigns in regards to "information/disinformation" as its impacts according to this study far out weight other areas of what we have traditionally perceived as paramount. Economic or government stability far less important than social fabric.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/ [login to see] 5.htm
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SSgt (Join to see)
The great porn experiment | Gary Wilson | TEDxGlasgow
NOTE FROM TED: This talk contains several assertions that are not supported by academically respected studies in medicine and psychology. While some viewers ...
Side thought, but I feel related: dopamine and Delta-FosB. We have built up a microwave mentality (why take an hour to cook a meal when I can have a heated meal in 3 minutes?) in society by feeding from the firehouse of the internet. It is a click, dopamine hit, click, dopamine hit, click, dopamine hit, click, dopamine hit cycle. Too much, too quickly and the Delta-FosG builds up in the brain causing the dopamine hit to be less and the cravings to be more.
What I have studied of the fall of empires includes a movement to personal pleasure setting aside the natural drives which leads to a turning away from the God(s) and religion. In all societies, the belief in something more "out there" is the normal basis for morals. When you start throwing that away, the morals become looser until they too slough away, and that is when empires fall. (Not discussing any specific religion here!)
The is a TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF82AwSDiU) that parallels what I am trying to say. Another good clip is Simon Sinek talking about dopamine addiction at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEpogM_fxsQ. Also take a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y. A much more detailed look at the various hormones that drive us.
We have a societal problem, and using alcoholics anonymous, we have not hit step one: admitting we have a problem. Technology is not the problem, it is a carrier. Our own education is lacking on how to handle the click/dopamine cycle. Airing the laundry of politicians by politicians is also a dopamine hit for a lot of people. That is why soap operas are so addictive.
I would love to keep diving into this question overall and hope my ideas don't drive off people.
What I have studied of the fall of empires includes a movement to personal pleasure setting aside the natural drives which leads to a turning away from the God(s) and religion. In all societies, the belief in something more "out there" is the normal basis for morals. When you start throwing that away, the morals become looser until they too slough away, and that is when empires fall. (Not discussing any specific religion here!)
The is a TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF82AwSDiU) that parallels what I am trying to say. Another good clip is Simon Sinek talking about dopamine addiction at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEpogM_fxsQ. Also take a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y. A much more detailed look at the various hormones that drive us.
We have a societal problem, and using alcoholics anonymous, we have not hit step one: admitting we have a problem. Technology is not the problem, it is a carrier. Our own education is lacking on how to handle the click/dopamine cycle. Airing the laundry of politicians by politicians is also a dopamine hit for a lot of people. That is why soap operas are so addictive.
I would love to keep diving into this question overall and hope my ideas don't drive off people.
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Clearly the use of technology has had a negative impact on society.
The recent devaluations on the refinement of the use of technology to take videos of someone talking and changing the word to whatever the producer wants will give a whole new meaning to fake news.
News media should be neutral, who, what, when, where, why, and how. That isn't that case, and it is being used to influence people based on their leanings. It's one thing to skew some data, or select a graphic that skews it, but omission of facts is now a regular practice.
The upside, at least for those who are caught on video saying or doing something stupid, is it gives them an out.
The recent devaluations on the refinement of the use of technology to take videos of someone talking and changing the word to whatever the producer wants will give a whole new meaning to fake news.
News media should be neutral, who, what, when, where, why, and how. That isn't that case, and it is being used to influence people based on their leanings. It's one thing to skew some data, or select a graphic that skews it, but omission of facts is now a regular practice.
The upside, at least for those who are caught on video saying or doing something stupid, is it gives them an out.
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Technology is going to be our downfall. We’ve already seen the start of that over the last 10 years.
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LTC (Join to see)
I'm not worried about Skynet. I'm not worried about parallels to movie I Robot. We got to be vigilant because the the two bit Criminal watching you when you get out of your car or when you are out in the streets at night. Local crime is a bigger life-changer. our civilization isn't falling apart like how it is in Venezuela or Yugoslavia at the beginning of the Civil War We do have threats from China, Iran and Russia worldwide.
We have threats from white supremacist killing Americans like you and me just as much as radical affiliate to Isis or al-Qaeda in the US.
Imminent threats from Russia, China and the Iranians are there and we are ready. If any of those three started a war with us over Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine or the Baltic states could cause a nuclear Holocaust and a protracted War. These issues are more important to watch or discuss than golf Delta climate change.
https://qz.com/1540229/the-reason-trump-withdrew-from-inf-missile-treaty-with-russia/
We have threats from white supremacist killing Americans like you and me just as much as radical affiliate to Isis or al-Qaeda in the US.
Imminent threats from Russia, China and the Iranians are there and we are ready. If any of those three started a war with us over Israel, Taiwan, Ukraine or the Baltic states could cause a nuclear Holocaust and a protracted War. These issues are more important to watch or discuss than golf Delta climate change.
https://qz.com/1540229/the-reason-trump-withdrew-from-inf-missile-treaty-with-russia/
The tough question: Is the US hurting Putin by pulling out of the INF treaty?
Trump critics warned that pulling the US from the deal could result in Putin developing even more weapons, unconstrained.
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