Twenty-first century slaves

mentescriminales1

Gideon would say: “Deleuze in The Logic of Sense: It’s a strange position the one that blindly values the depth at the expense of the surface, giving to superficial the mean of lack of draft instead of long dimension“.

Two facts that I am paying some attention:

  • Increased access to information via the Internet, especially through social networks 
  •  We know more, though with less depth (even without actually knowing if what it has been said is true)

More information wherever and whenever we want, tailored to our interests … More superficial, shallow and therefore no less exciting.

The question is: Do we really take advantage of this situation?

Communicate with meaning | Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo

Without going into the question of whether today’s social networks will be successful or not, it is true that the technologies allowed us to socialize at levels hitherto unknown. In a different way than few years ago but no less valuable.  

However (there’s always a but …. God Dammed!), if we pay attention to what is said we could see several things:

  • Many saying the same … even in some cases, or there are people who read and absorb knowledge very quickly, or they only read the titles 
  •  A little added value in the flow of information … Something like “step as it comes” 
  • The talks, regardless of how many friends, followers, fans… you have, are almost restricted and are possible to follow for those who hold them 
  • Something that began with the virtue of honesty begins to be distorted… without that, much information can be categorized as disinformation…

Do not believe it at first, think about what you see, read or hear, create your own opinion, learn and expand … Be yourself!

And if you don’t want to, be aware, other is the one who is writing the script… 🙁

Someone is writing the script | The Usual Suspects

If we pay attention to general social networks (Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Tuenti …), the information not only repeats tirelessly and without additional content, but also those who say something about it are few.

Much of this information, in turn, came from other networks, with people who took it from somewhere else and the story continues…

The point is that someone created that information and in some cases it ends up being, at least, of bizarre nature…

The risk of this is that eventually and with vehement negligence we are allowing few to write the script of our daily agenda…

An example of Spain, today:

  • There is talk of a new law proposed by the government affecting the rights of people on the Internet 
  • “Someone” opened forums, groups, etc.. in different social networks with a “manifesto” (In basic twiterian it would say #manifesto) against the measure 
  • Several people joined the event 
  • Today we discover that behind the event there would be some personal intentions
  • At least, I got off the list for feeling somewhat cheated, manipulated and poorly represented… And not because of my agreement or disagreement with the contents 
  • Today there was a meeting between government and the “usual suspects” … News: “The government has no intention of listening” 
  • I wonder with honestly thought: “Henry, are you really the interlocutor?

We should write our own scripts; we are players in our own play, we could also be actors in plays of others… Basically, no matter if our ideas are great, good or disposable …

The issue, I think, is to develop and practice the art of thinking by ourselves and this is the basis to do something together in community.

Co-creation starts with having something to give, and what better if what you have is an idea!

Co-creating means sharing | Pulp Fiction

pulp_fiction2

Co-creation could occur in new environments … although they may not 🙂

In any case, new technologies, social networks…, at least give us good insights if you wanted to do something with other people… The question is: Did they choose me?

In a world where “to flow is the king”, find the “creators” is a complex task, if you do not know them personally.

Instead, not everything is so black … If you pay attention, if you read slowly, you’ll notice things cool, unique, shared… And if you do this for a while, you’ll also see that there is a small group of people who generates those thoughts that you like.

Co-create is to discover who, with patience, knowing that you have to give firstIt is about peers where the greatest challenge is to exceed our ancestral aspirations of referential status.

In this case, it is not ideological writers, it’s about those writers of their own destinies who also invite to be part… and accept to change their ideas because they discover that together can cerate better things.

We move at a slow pace, the rhythm of human beings… seeking for empathy that comes from shared principles and agendas… and this takes time. Hence the patient, hence the feeling of overwhelmed by these new technologies that could help us.

The new technology is beyond us | Matrix

internet_penetration

To give a framework to my thoughts: In a world with 6,400 million inhabitants, Internet penetration is 26% and like wealth , it’s unevenly distributed.

  • Of all those people … 30% access social networks … that is, something like 7% of humanity … 
  • 10% actively participate and 2% create content… That means that only 0.1% of humanity is creating content. Are you one of them?

In summary … Although we are talking about millions, we are “early adopters” of these technologies in a world upside down, most children know more than we do 🙂

The interesting thing is that as individuals we are still so raw as we were several thousand years ago. The wars, hunger, poverty … slavery continue there, and our reactions are so “demode”, that just thinking about them make us feel shame.

My thoughts at this point (at least one of them) is that the mix between humans, technologies and knowledge is creating a new type of slavery … And I think we aren’t realizing this.

As a society we are beginning to know and learn more about the tools than about the contents:

  • We use Excel but we are not able to rationalize the equations giving the response 
  • We use Word and believe that its spellchecker works wonders 
  • We welcome ideas from others who said this or that, and do not stop to think if what they told has any value, can be improved or even criticized
  • Forget events to give space to others and do not stop to think about their relationship (eg: Today, Mr. Nobel Peace Prize announced that he will send more troops to war)

We are so preoccupied that we forgot to think. To know does not mean to learn.

A society that becomes expert in tools and ignorant of reasons is taking the decision of self-enslavement. Curiosity by itself is harmless. It should be curiousity that generates action, that moves us, what finally makes us creative, which humanizes us.

Thinking in terms of free society is the challenge for the ones who have ideas.

The challenge of having ideas | Serendipity

titanic

Everything goes so fast, so on the surface… Overwhelming!

Dazzled by this “belle epoque” that we are living is real… We are at an exciting time.

The paradigm of inequality continues and has additional aspects that require reflection.

Perhaps if I had to ask for something for this holiday season, would be to return to the roots of our humanity, to exacerbate our creative ability, to take the responsibility (at any level) to think and make others think… A challenge of love of what we always have been and are still learning to be… people!

Please, take care that we aren’t cheering with champagne on the deck of the Titanic 🙂

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<a href="https://allegro234.net/author/cristian/" target="_self">Cristian Saracco</a>

Cristian Saracco

About the author

Founding Partner | Allegro234 Founding Member | The Flow Collective Full Member | Medinge Group Member Editorial Committee | Branders Magazine

Nov 30, 2009

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