12
‘Our consciousness is under siege’: Michael Pollan on chatbots, social media and mental freedom (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 8 months ago by to c/humanities@beehaw.org
comment fedilink hide all child comments
 

Each day when you wake up, you come back to yourself. You see the room around you, feel your body brush against your clothes and think about your plans, worries and hopes for the day. This daily internal experience is miraculous and mysterious, and the subject of Michael Pollan’s new book, A World Appears.

It also may be under siege, Pollan said. He recently suggested that people need a “consciousness hygiene” to defend our internal world against invaders that are trying to move in. Our ability to sit with our thoughts and perceive the world, he argues, is increasingly disrupted by algorithms engineered to tickle our dopamine receptors and capture our attention. Meanwhile, people are forming attachments to non-human chatbots, projecting consciousness on to entities that do not possess it.

I spoke with Pollan over the phone about what consciousness hygiene looks like in practice. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

no comments (yet)

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
there doesn't seem to be anything here
14 comments in c/news@lemmy.world view that post
[–] 8 points 8 months ago*

It really always has been. It just way too obvious to ignore now. Same with surveillance. It's all foundational in how America is able to even exist.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 2 points 8 months ago*

    These chatbots are not conscious, but they claim to be

    This isn't true though. They might act as if they are but if you explicitly ask, they'll tell you that they aren't.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    heh, just have to know how AI works, and how to spot the slop to know your being played like a damn fiddle.

    if you can't do either then your fucked.

    Use the nadeko inv site to avoid the algorithm on youtube so you don't get sucked into the rabbit hole.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    En las nuevas generaciones esto va a ser un valor importante a conservar. Pero primero deben descubrir por si mismos. In the new generations this will be an important value to preserve. But first they must discover for themselves. @return2ozma@lemmy.world

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 1 point 8 months ago (9 children)

    Cute. Way too late.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 9 child comments
    •
  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (8 children)

    No, it's not. You can literally delete social media right now and just start using your phone as a phone. Sure, there are endless temptations pulling at your attention, but in the end it's still you choosing to distract yourself from the real world.

    Life gives you constant opportunities to be present, but we just choose not to take them because sitting on a bus staring out the window feels boring.

    Just decide when you want to be present and stick to it. Pair it with daily stuff you're already doing anyway - doing the dishes, going to the bathroom, driving or commuting, queuing, waiting for something. Decide in advance not to pull out your phone in these moments and just be there.

    This "it's too late" thinking is just mental handcuffs you're putting on yourself.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
    •
  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago* (2 children)

    Defeatists really need to STFU. Most annoying people ever. It’s like they‘re on a mission to demoralize everyone.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    On social media, cynicism often gets mistaken for intelligence because it looks like "seeing through the bullshit." It gives the appearance of depth and critical thinking. But it's not. It's a defensive posture, not a truth-seeking one. Cynic just assumes everything is corrupt, stupid, or fake. That way they never have to risk being wrong, vulnerable, or naive. It's low-effort intellectual armor.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    On one level I agree with what you're saying. On a different one I really dislike the "just do it" attitude, when we're dealing with software that has been engineered to be extremely addictive. Of course, you could tell a heroine addict or meth-head that they need to "just decide to quit", but it's well established that that doesn't usually help much. Of course, it's true that, bottom line, they "just" need to quit. However it's reductionist to the point of no longer being helpful to suggest that as a solution in itself.

    With e.g. social media (and other addictions) we should be doing more than just putting it on the individual to cut out their addiction. After all, they're just an individual that's fighting a huge for-profit industry that's set up around keeping them addicted. Asking them to fight that battle alone is setting them up to fail.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    I think my response is a bit more nuanced than "just do it."

    I acknowledge that it's hard - that's exactly why I'm laying out small, practical steps people can actually take instead of quitting cold turkey. Deleting social media is extreme and easier said than done, but something like not taking your phone to the bathroom is an easy daily habit anyone can start.

    I'm just trying to highlight that it can be done - and it sure as hell isn't "too late."

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •