EXPOSED

We are all constantly exposed…

This level of exposure has never before been experienced by humanity…

Our digital selves, lives, beliefs, loves, hates and likes are open to scrutiny, examination and evaluation, 24/7.

Collectively, we have forgotten the power of privacy.

Like all addicts, we delude ourselves, kid ourselves we are in control, believe we are immune to the pervasive, screen time and social media epidemic. But humans are social creatures, our brains evolved to form communities, communicate, collaborate and work together. We construct our identity through how we are seen by others. We are designed to care about what our tribe think about us. It is part of our tribal DNA and we need our tribe to survive.

But when our identity is formed online in the company of strangers, we are very exposed. When we create a vulnerable, digital identity that only exists in cyberspace and our heads, we can develop a hyper vigilant flight or fight response that remains long after we log off, if we log off. The feelings of shame and self-loathing that are already endemic in the modern world are exaggerated online.

So, turn off your notifications, try to reduce time online but remember this is actually a collective problem, not an individual one. We have collective rules and social norms for alcohol, gambling, smoking and drugs that can harm humans and we need to develop them for digital.

Collective problems need collective solutions…

#beinghuman #socialmedia #digital