Modern Propaganda is flood of irrelevant emotionally charged videos that create positive feelings in us. In medieval times, there was scarcity of news, information, and media. Just as there was scarcity of sugar and glucose in the natural world, there was scarcity of information. Humans are naturally tuned to seek these rare things. Humans have to consume it when they can.
In modern times, there is over supply of sugar and information. If we do not train our mind to restrict their intake, it will affect our physical and mental health.
Limited and controlled social media is tolerable but more is harmful. The flood of emotional and positive media is sugar for the mind.
Modern Propaganda and social media brings us to a lower level
"When we binge on pleasurable things… our brain compensates by bringing us lower and lower and lower,” says Lembke.Each time the thing becomes less enjoyable, but we eventually become dependent on those stimuli to keep functioning.
We spiral into a joy-seeking abyss. The digital world enables bingeing on a previously unseen scale because there are no practical limitations forcing us to pause.” (The Guardian, 2021)
The keywords here that describe consequences of binging on pleasurable things are: brain level ‘lower and lower and lower’; dependent on those stimuli to keep functioning; spiral into a joy-seeking abyss (pleasure centric culture).
Modern Propaganda and social media destroy thinking
“As well as compromising our attention spans, Lembke says our obsession with instant gratification means we’re constantly living in our limbic brain, which processes emotions, rather than in our pre-frontal cortex, which deals with future planning and problem-solving and is important for personality development."The keywords here that describe consequences of binging on pleasurable things are: living in our limbic brain; inability of future planning and problem-solving; and poor personality development.
What to do?
Delete social media apps from phone.Avoid Witch Doctors and their social media shared link on youtube, facebook, and Instagram. Do not click on links.
Avoid sugar like ‘feelgood’ dopamine hit from social media.
Try 30 days without Social Media for a Digital Detox. No Social Media or TV. However, limited reading of news is ok as it is essential to keep in touch with the world.
Talk to sensible people without distractions. Preferably in person, or on communications apps of not possible.
Changing your surroundings, environment, context is more important than ‘motivation’ or positive messages.
This is changing your ‘choice architecture’. Changing it once is easier than expecting to be motivated every day.
Create your architecture once that encourages sensible choice. E.g. delete social media apps on your phone so there is less motivation to view it. The more convenient something is, less likely one will use it.
Another example of changing the ‘choice architecture’ is to remove sugar and salt from your home. Always have healthier option such as fruit conveniently placed.
Motivation and positive talk is not as effective.
Danger of positive emotionalism
The Greeks knew about the dangers of positive rhetoric and emotionalism. They knew it can be used to bypass the rationality of a legal system.“Being the accuser, Aeschines began his argument by first imploring his “fellow citizens” to place their faith in “law and justice” rather than any “scheming preparation” of rhetoric and emotional appeal the defense may present…”. (Penn's Classical Studies Publication, 2021)
Restoring Balance
Silence will destroy the nonsense. Silence is the greatest status symbol of 2023. (Grim Hustle, 2023)Avoid self-propaganda and digital flood of positive and emotionally charged social media.
Restoring your body’s natural balance will help with mental peace and stability. You will be able to think clearly. You will be able to cut through the FUD (Fear Uncertainty, Doubt). You will not be distracted by irrelevance with a positive emotional spin.
Then you can begin to see the Big Ideas and have ‘vision’ to make a positive contribution rather than just amplify the noise.
