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This is a bit of an oversimplification of the argument. Technology is argued to be a wedge, but this is in the context of well documented social division. In
by m0llusk 5y ago
This is a bit of an oversimplification of the argument. Technology is argued to be a wedge, but this is in the context of well documented social division. In recent memory we were significantly less divided and the most consumed media sources served as moderators. Brushing this off as just another prognostication and everything is always messed up is missing the seriousness of this.
It is perhaps fortunate that the Ukraine situation is demonstrating once again that just about the only time America can function in a coordinated manner is when there is an agreed upon external threat. Perhaps the next external threat will be carbon climate cancer? Or will our internal divisions prevent us from effectively dealing with that. It is going to be a rough ride one way or the other. The current war will be our first experience with global famines since the so called green revolution.
- goodoldneon 5y ago> Perhaps the next external threat will be carbon climate cancer? Americans rarely unite against something that's partially and/or possibly our fault.
- rtkwe 5y agoAlso that will prove costly to the existing economic order, companies will resist every change that threatens their bottom line unless and until they find a way to benefit themselves. Look at oil now "energy" companies like Shell that knew climate change was a looming cliff but were so heavily invested in oil they buried the issue in confusion and flak until they figured out how to make money off of green energy.
- SpicyLemonZest 5y agoThere's a lot more political polarization, no doubt, but I'm actually not sure it's true that there's more social division. A few decades ago, basic questions like "is it OK for different races to get married" and "should women participate fully in society" remained unresolved, with a ton of people wielding substantial power sitting on the "no" side. (The Handmaid's Tale wasn't meant to be some crazy impossible premise; Margaret Atwood genuinely believed that she was describing a real trend that might happen if we're not careful.)
- rtkwe 5y agoThere's still time for that backslide to happen we're already seeing conservative reactionary groups pushing for returns to before those questions were 'resolved' in more and less direct terms.
- SpicyLemonZest 5y agoI wouldn't claim that a backslide is impossible, but it's important to understand that these weren't just conservative reactionary issues at the time. I have an uncle who got interracially married in the 1990s, and his wife's family were concerned about it because of gender rights - they thought that he as a Hispanic man was going to expect her to be "barefoot and pregnant".
- bradlys 5y agoI’d read Robert Putnam’s book Bowling Alone or The Upswing. (Or just watch him talk about it on YouTube) Social division is definitely higher than it’s ever been in decades. Racism and sexism is less prevalent but social division is actually higher than ever.
- SpicyLemonZest 5y agoI hate to make both of us feel ancient, but Bowling Alone was written in the "decades ago" period I'm talking about. While the trend of social atomization has definitely continued, I don't think division as such has gotten worse since then. (Seconding the recommendation though, it is a good book.)
- bradlys 5y agoHe has follow up books like the one I suggested. It hasn’t gotten better. Division is stronger at socioeconomic lines than ever afaict. We replaced race and sex division with class.
- reciprocity 5y agoThanks for the recommendation.