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Four trends that are challenging to refute at scale are: - debt, both public and private sector - demographic cratering - diminished participation in communi

Four trends that are challenging to refute at scale are: - debt, both public and private sector - demographic cratering - diminished participation in communities of faith - increased use of drugs, prescribed or otherwise Now, to what degree "'twas ever thus", and to what degree that technology has allowed greater focus on sensational aspects of these points would be of interest. Delving past the abstract and into this paper might or might not illuminate that point. I like the contrarian take, as the "Chicken Little" panic is the easy road.

ADuckOnQuack 3y ago
While there may be trends none of the examples you cite are new, the only thing these trends definitively reflect is that society is changing, which is to be expected. 1) Feudal Society was overwhelmingly debt based with serfs in debt for life or even generations, medieval European society did not collapse but rather changed over time in part due to the unstable nature of this system. 2) not sure what "demographic cratering" refers to here, low birth rate? Low birth rate is a well understood economic phenomenon when a society reaches a position of high comfort and well met needs for its population. I would argue this is a good thing. 3) participation in communities of faith has historically fluctuated, such as during the renaissance era. and high participation is not necessarily a good thing, high religious participation among populations also coincided with religious wars where massive scale atrocities or genocide occurred. 4) increased drug use is generally not even a new trend, if anything just a change in what drugs are used. In use United States, Opioids currently are far less prevalent than nicotine was during most of the 1900's, weight loss fad drugs have been recorded as far back as Ancient Greek society. the increase in prescription drug use over the last 100 years has also coincided with a large increase of the average American lifespan.
- mieses 3y ago
  Low birth rates seem to affect any group that adopts cell phones, including the non-high-comfort impoverished nations of the southern hemisphere. The only exceptions seem to be the communities of faith like Israel. Unlikely that this trend will be reversed so the problem solves itself over the next few generations. I would argue this is a good thing.

ADuckOnQuack 3y ago

While there may be trends none of the examples you cite are new, the only thing these trends definitively reflect is that society is changing, which is to be expected. 1) Feudal Society was overwhelmingly debt based with serfs in debt for life or even generations, medieval European society did not collapse but rather changed over time in part due to the unstable nature of this system. 2) not sure what "demographic cratering" refers to here, low birth rate? Low birth rate is a well understood economic phenomenon when a society reaches a position of high comfort and well met needs for its population. I would argue this is a good thing. 3) participation in communities of faith has historically fluctuated, such as during the renaissance era. and high participation is not necessarily a good thing, high religious participation among populations also coincided with religious wars where massive scale atrocities or genocide occurred. 4) increased drug use is generally not even a new trend, if anything just a change in what drugs are used. In use United States, Opioids currently are far less prevalent than nicotine was during most of the 1900's, weight loss fad drugs have been recorded as far back as Ancient Greek society. the increase in prescription drug use over the last 100 years has also coincided with a large increase of the average American lifespan.

mieses 3y ago
Low birth rates seem to affect any group that adopts cell phones, including the non-high-comfort impoverished nations of the southern hemisphere. The only exceptions seem to be the communities of faith like Israel. Unlikely that this trend will be reversed so the problem solves itself over the next few generations. I would argue this is a good thing.