The internet was supposed to set us free, to expand our minds and horizons. But instead, it's making us smaller, more fearful and less innovative.
The always-on, hyper-connected nature of social media and smartphones is stealing our attention and chipping away at our creativity and critical thinking skills, bit by bit. Our brains are rewiring to crave the dopamine hits of likes, shares and endless bite-sized content.
Tech giants aren't just selling ads - they're selling us. Our data, our preferences, our very identity is the product. These companies want to be the center of our lives, our source of information, entertainment and validation. They want to be a cult we can't live without.
And we're willingly sacrificing our privacy and autonomy at the altar of these platforms. Letting them track our every move and thought so their algorithms can spoon feed us content perfectly crafted to keep us hooked. Marketers, gambling psychologists and manipulators are gleefully gathering up all this data on TikTok, gaining powerful insights into manipulating the hearts and minds of the masses.
Even titans of industry like Elon Musk turn out to be masters of overpromising and underdelivering, more focused on hype and hero worship than truly innovating. As Silicon Valley chases its own glory, it risks losing touch with reality and leaving the 99% behind.
The validation economy of likes and shares is creating a generation terrified to be alone with their own thoughts. We're becoming performative, narcissistic and depressed as we chase the high of external approval.
Is this what we wanted? To be lab rats in a Silicon Valley skinner box, endlessly seeking our next fix?
It's not too late. We can still choose a different path. A path of intention, creation and deep thought. Of valuing our privacy and building our identity from the inside out. Of being alone and liking it.
The alternative is to continue to shrink, to let our brains and spirits atrophy as we hand over the keys to some of the most powerful companies in history.
It's time to expand again. To take back control. To build, not just scroll. No one is coming to save us. This is our choice to make.
How big do you want to be?
