Humans are gregarious animals. They need interaction with other people.
More and more people are isolating themselves and spending excessive time with machines: scrolling on their phones, watching TV shows, relying on artificial intelligence for trivial tasks, and so on. This behavior has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studies have shown that this diminishes cognitive function, even in people who were previously intelligent. By constantly using devices, these people are not exercising their minds, and and they are therefore losing their ability to think critically.
More and more people are adopting a consumerist attitude toward other human beings. If they find a flaw in someone, they stop associating with them. At the slightest disagreement, they end the relationship. This cuts them off from the social contact that humans need so much. It also cuts them off from the positive qualities and good ideas of these people. If someone in a group is unpleasant, or if someone has a moment of unkindness, they stop interacting with the entire group. However, cutting ties with a group is a far more damaging experience for the individual than receiving one or two unpleasant remarks. Moreover, even the worst people can offer valuable insights that challenge preconceived notions. Of course, while it is important to avoid toxic individuals and unpleasant groups, it’s equally crucial to keep things in proportion.
Consuming only information that pleases is very detrimental. Social media, printed newspapers, television, and online platforms often contribute to this. History clearly shows that kings who surrounded themselves only with people who flattered them made major mistakes. For example, Richard II in England.
Confrontation has its benefits. People need to test their ideas with others. Humans need others to step back and think. To live together, there must be tolerance. Listening and trying to understand others’ perspectives fosters stronger relationships. No turning inward, no retreating into machines. We must look at what we have in common, not focus on our differences.
This leads to absurdities: increased consumption of single-use products, a rise in support for extremist ideologies, a rise in gang mentality, pitting one group against another; a decline in empathy; excessive use of water and electricity; increased environmental pollution, and so on.
Translated with DeepL and Ollama translateGemma.
