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Interesting, but the author makes a mistake that I think a lot of tech culture writers make: Assuming all the issues with technology stem from the technology an

by Mezzie 5y ago

Interesting, but the author makes a mistake that I think a lot of tech culture writers make: Assuming all the issues with technology stem from the technology and not the culture that developed it. What I mean by that is that while we can see the influence that an app like TikTok has on behavior by comparing pre and post TT, we can't compare our TikTok/internet with a TikTok/internet that was made by hunter-gatherers, or fascists, or Georgists, or whomever. Or a TikTok made in 17th century France. In particular, I think the author is onto something here when he discusses the speed of the memes, but he doesn't mention the other half of the equation: The speed of governments/societies to respond. I think a lot of what we're seeing is a tension between the speed of culture and the speed of its institutions. When those are out of sync, bad things happen. Culture too fast plus institutions that can't/don't change means they fall apart; institutions changing too fast without people results in stuff like the fall of the USSR. Basically, when the people in a culture don't have a reason to trust its institutions, they'll turn on them. I would also argue that this was inevitable, because any new tool is used for political purposes. Therefore, the invention of the internet meant it would be harnessed for political purposes. Most well-off governments of today are democracies of some stripe and America's recent military adventures have proven that quick and mobile is a good tactic against slow giant democracies. It'd be like aliens wondering why humans shoot each other in/aim for the head no matter what weapons we come up with.

bugbuddy 5y ago
This vaguely reminds me of Ronald Wright’s “Rebellion of the Tools.” There is a lot of momentum involved in a lot of human behaviors. People tend to prefer familiarity (including the foreign but familiar kinds.) Salience and repetition creates familiarity and it is mostly advertisements and commercial interests that drive most eyeballs nowadays in most of the world. So, in my opinion, it all circles back to to the old adage: “follow the money.”
- Mezzie 5y ago
  Oh, thank you for that, I found it and read a couple of pages and it looks delightful. I agree on follow the money, though to make the adage work for more societies, I would say "follow the incentives".

by Mezzie 5y ago

bugbuddy 5y ago

This vaguely reminds me of Ronald Wright’s “Rebellion of the Tools.” There is a lot of momentum involved in a lot of human behaviors. People tend to prefer familiarity (including the foreign but familiar kinds.) Salience and repetition creates familiarity and it is mostly advertisements and commercial interests that drive most eyeballs nowadays in most of the world. So, in my opinion, it all circles back to to the old adage: “follow the money.”

Mezzie 5y ago
Oh, thank you for that, I found it and read a couple of pages and it looks delightful. I agree on follow the money, though to make the adage work for more societies, I would say "follow the incentives".