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Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid
Article

Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid

It’s not just a phase.

The Atlantic, 2022


Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Bold
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

In Genesis, Noah’s descendants built a high tower to glorify themselves. Insulted, God sowed confusion, instituting different languages so people couldn’t understand one another. The biblical Tower of Babel proves an apt metaphor for America today. The dominance of social media has politically and culturally fragmented the United States. Facebook and Twitter, for example, pit people against each other, undermine faith in institutions and threaten democracy. The situation is dire, says Jonathan Haidt – in this instantly classic article in The Atlantic – but not hopeless. Democratic institutions can evolve and strengthen, Haidt believes, and policy changes can make social media platforms less toxic.

Take-Aways

  • In the 1990s, people thought history was moving toward greater human unity – and that the internet was helping.
  • Traditionally, common values unite civilization, but social media changed all that by 2013.
  • Social media permanently altered American politics.

About the Author

American social psychologist and professor of ethical leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, Jonathan Haidt also wrote The Righteous Mind.