I’ve decided the take the plunge on multiple fronts. First, I would delete social media. I never had Tiktok, but was an avid user (or should I say complicit doomscroler) of Instagram. Second, I decided to have my own website where I could share my thoughts on a myriad of things. It would be my very own personal space, no corporation that polices my abrasive (more like sharp) comments.
And indeed I’ve deleted Instagram and I’ve created this website in order to join the Indieweb movement. In the meantime, I’ve been thinking and reading about the dangers of social media and its effect on our behaviour. By no means do I pretend to have found the ultimate explanation nor do I praise myself as an expert on the matter. I’ve barely scratched the surface, but in my capacity as a “scratcher” I’d like to think that I could shed light and provide insight into why I’ve taken a dislike to social media in general. I’ll try to be brief, but no promises.
I can’t remember when I read the book, but it has been more than 15 years ago. It’s one of those books you read and think that although you recognise some elements in todays society, you’re in the comfortable self-assurance that it would never happen in real life. 1984, though grim and dystopian, was surely something that our collective humanity would never allow to happen. George Orwell worked with material that was available to him at that time. Communisme under Stalin provided ample examples upon which to draw this horrific society of oppression made possible upon us. There was however another book that was published 17 years before, that actually did imagine a world that we are somewhat living. The world created by Aldus Huxley, is the world we’ve allowed ourselves to live in.
It’s weirdly prophetic how certain elements and themes resonate with todays Western/developed/capitalistic Society. I kept on pondering on the “ pursuit of happiness” that was made a part of the Declaration of Independence. However, unlike the “pursuit”, Brave New World actually envisioned a world wherein happiness was a necessary factor for the State world control. There is therefore no pursuit to be had. It’s been provided, at the small price of complete relinquishing of ones mental faculty. And although the people in the book, are not even aware that they could make a choice. They’re happy with whatever they are familiar with i.e conditioned for their role and place in society.
There is however a caveat, or a price if you will. One is prohibited from thinking or dwell on intellectual or emotional matters. You’re completely taken care of as a little child that you are. Indeed the people of this world has been completely infantilised. And it is also to be expected from them to - and this is where it struck a nerve - to continue consuming new goods. Something broke? Buy a new thing instead. Repairing stuff is frowned upon and treated almost with contempt and ridicule, hence the line in the book “ending is better than mending”. This prompted me to immediately draw the example of Apples new keynote this September about their new iPhone 17. Slogans such as” the most advanced pro model we’ve ever created” or “ the most powerful iPhone we’ve ever built”. It’s nearly, no, **it is comical! **I could not help but to think that Tim Cook is living by the way of Ford and following his tenets to the letter and the Apple enthusiasts are waiting eagerly to discard their perfectly working iPhone 16 pro max in order to buy the new model.
This is only one aspect of the book that struck me the most but the general premise is hauntingly enough to keeps ones wits about. The Brave New World was possible because the people were conditioned from even when they were embryos. The poor bastards had absolutely no say in the matter. The conditioning was successful because the people had no chance to choose to think and reflect. The ones that did think and reflect were promptly…well I shouldn’t spoil the book. Go read it.
Social media would perfectly fit into the Brave New World as if it was the most integral part of it. But the fact that Huxley envisioned a society where your body and more specifically your mind is that of the State makes one question whether Social Media is having the same effect on our attention and keeping it hooked on the trivial, the base, the banal and the infantile. And if you’re upset with what I’ve written, take a soma; “a gramme is always better than a damn”.