Hostile Abundance — Novel problems in the age of Technology
We deal with and endless list of problems that linger over our mind. They can be inconsequential, such as “I hope my post gets a lot of likes.”, or catastrophic, like “I can’t pay for my family’s home anymore.” At any point on the spectrum, they are valid problems to worry about and need solving. Although technological innovation has provided immeasurable value to our lives, there are surely a set of new problems that our tribal ancestors haven’t evolved for. Even worse, some entities are profiting greatly off of the degraded health of their own consumers.
I argue that the privilege of food abundance is diminished by the fact that millions are shoveling in processed sugars and fats we haven’t evolved for. That the ability to connect with others across the internet is diminished by the states of anxiety that social media often gives them. Why do we willingly forego our access to a healthy body and a calm mind?
This is mainly due to the fact that these are all super stimulus versions of what we actually need to survive. We evolved in a state of scarcity, where uncovering a source of fat or sugar in nature is a serious win. So is the addition of a trustworthy companion to our tribe. Our primitive brains and bodies are acquiring these seemingly amazing resources through fast food and social media, but new unintended consequences are emerging. These aren’t the real deal. We don’t form relationships with the hundreds of faces we see in a few hours while scrolling. Our bodies aren’t nourished with highly engineered food that isn’t bio-available.
Many scoff at this, and I don’t blame them: “just put the cheeseburger down 🤣”. I mean yes, that would solve the problem, but “as many as 80 to 95% of dieters gain back the weight they’ve worked so hard to lose” (Cleveland Clinic, 2023). It’s obviously hard, we stand alone in a world of mega corporations trying to pull the strings of our neuroscience to get us to buy their product. Luckily for us, with some accountability, teamwork, and disciplined choices of technology, we will be just fine.
The brighter side of our reality is that society does actually provide the option of being healthy. Healthy fruits, vegetables and meats are also abundant. Quality connections can be made with meetups organized online. The information and strategies to improve our health are more accessible than ever. But where do we start?
Health and wellness is such a broad category that I won’t begin to dissect it. Because of the internet, experts are able to broadcast ideas to the whole world through podcasts, books, videos, etc. Here’s some shout outs for people I respect, who I consider pioneers. Andrew Huberman has done a phenomenal job of broadcasting free protocols for science-backed healthy living. Cal Newport has done a great job writing about how to live a harmonious life with increasingly addictive technology. Joey Schweitzer makes cinematic masterpieces explaining better ideas and attitudes towards life. This is a tiny, biased list, but the crux is that institutional gatekeeping between this knowledge has dissolved.
As time goes on, there will be groups of people who understand this, and will thrive in unimaginable ways. Instead of succumbing to the plagues of the modern age, we can use knowledge and foresight to build barriers between them. We can use what we’ve learned, share it with the world, and work together. At least to me, this path towards living harmoniously in our modern world is an imperative.
