We all seem to be struggling with the effects of violence, polarization, and shame-based rhetoric and behaviors that are hitting us every day. These things have been around forever but never, in my experience, to this level of consistency and volatility. It feels like a wild and tumultuous ocean that is threatening to overwhelm us, pull us under, and cause us to drown.
Can we understand these waves and see them for what they are? How can we avoid being overwhelmed and succumb to fear? What can we do that is healthy, helpful, and productive in how we choose to respond? How do we, as people of faith, maintain our balance and help one another with love, patience, and grace?
A client recently shared some of his concerns and observations about these questions. He talked about his 12-year-old son who has grown up with video games and virtual reality and the confusion and sense of addiction that can be a result of too much screen time. He shared a story in which his son did not want to be interrupted to go outside because he was playing a game with someone, somewhere in the world, and confused the virtual relationship with reality. Although the research is mixed, we can speculate and wonder if playing violent video games and killing people in virtual reality tends to condition our youth as well as adults to objectify people, become numb to violence, and normalize the elimination of those we see as our enemies.
In a recent Integral Life podcast, Josh Leonard interviewed Bruce Alderman, MA, who is an integral psychologist, a professor of consciousness studies, and the Associate Director for the Blue Sky Leaders Certificate Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. In this podcast they discussed a white paper written by Alderman entitled Polarization and the Algorithmic Undertow. An algorithm is a mathematical concept that is similar to a recipe that guides you through a series of well-defined actions to achieve a specific goal. In today’s world, algorithms are virtually everywhere around us, for example:
- Search engines rely on algorithms to find and present relevant results as quickly as possible.
- Social media platforms use algorithms to prioritize the content that we see in our feeds, taking into account factors like our past behavior, the popularity of posts, and relevance.
In his white paper, Alderman points out the dynamics of absence and presence in digital space. For example, what is absent are things like direct human contact, embodied experience, and complexity of views. What becomes present instead is technology that may appear to deepen connection but often leads to isolation and erosion of intimacy, and an abundance of information that seems to provide expanded perspectives but actually narrows our thinking, reinforces our biases, and creates echo chambers. He points out that algorithms don’t just reflect your bias, they subtly restructure your brain, reinforce tribal thinking, and train you to crave simplicity over truth.
These algorithms set us up to get caught in demi-realities, or partial views of reality that we begin to see as the whole of reality. Because these self-reinforcing views of the world actively exclude disconfirming perspectives, even airtight evidence and facts get dismissed. Instead, we are fed information that is designed to provoke us and keep us coming back for more. As professor and author Scott Galloway has said, enragement equals engagement.
Because the digital world reflects our prejudices, perspectives, and emotions, this also tends to amplify our unresolved shame, which pushes us toward more extreme positions, whether liberal or conservative, and consequently more extreme actions and reactions. We see religions that are founded in love, compassion and inclusion, being claimed by people who practice exclusion, condemnation, and hatred in the name of that religion. And, as we witness more often than ever, this type of dysfunction sometimes leads to violence, abuse, growing fear and mistrust.
As integral theory explains, our individual mindsets and world views influence not only our own behaviors but also our collective narratives and the systems we create to support them. This not only reveals how we have been pulled into a negative undertow, it also points to ways we can resist thrashing about in panic, learn to ride the waves like a surfer, to evolve, and be a force for positive change. An integral perspective can help us understand one another’s life circumstances, cultural contexts, levels of development, and views of reality, which can enable us to respond with compassion, to speak truth without malice, and look for individual and systematic solutions.
In the big picture of human evolution, the digital age is incredibly young, and we are still in a stage of transition. Transitions tend to be messy and confusing, and it takes time to grow into maturity and wisdom. So, as we find our way through this tunnel of change, let us be patient with ourselves and one another, resist hostility, and focus on what really matters. Even though it can be frightening and frustrating, the tools of artificial intelligence also offer many positive possibilities we haven’t even imagined yet. In the meantime, here are a few thoughts which may help us navigate the turbulent waters:
- Become more aware and mindful of algorithms and their effects on us.
- Deliberately seek out diverse sources of information and challenge our blind spots.
- Consider taking periodic digital sabbaticals.
- Participate in forums that bring people from diverse backgrounds together to support collective awareness and policies that demand more transparency and protection of our cultural well-being.
- Invest in face-to-face time in personal relationships; in our families, churches, workplaces, and communities to counter the trend toward detachment and isolation.
- Practice the core values of wholehearted faith, love, respect, and the inherent worth of each human life.
Therapy Tip
Naming our fears and sharing our stories and experiences regarding the digital world allows us to calm and process our emotions, think more clearly, and support each other. Before reacting, do some homework to assess the truth of a given situation and reflect on what matters most. That will usually shed light on what to do or not do, and what to say or not to say. Practice grace for yourself and others.