The Cynical Age

The Digital Age has given way to the Cynical Age where selfishness runs amok.

The Digital Age

The Digital Age began in the 1950s with the invention of the transistor.

As transistor utilization grew and electronic circuitry became more complex, Gordon Moore observed that the number of components per integrated circuit would double each year (Moore's Law). His prediction has held for seven decades.

Digital computers, hand-held devices, and communication technologies revolutionized industry and society. Development and deployment of computational, storage, and communication capacity has increased. It has impacted every sector of society in the world.

The Digital Age improved our quality of life, productivity, and efficiency. Some of the benefits are shown below:

The Cynical Age

With anything in life, there are pros and cons.

The Digital Age negatively affected our quality of life, productivity, and efficiency. Some of the drawbacks are shown below:

When the Drawbacks increased beyond the Benefits, we entered the Cynical Age.

The Drawbacks started in the mid-90s when hype became the driver; this led to the first consequence: the Dot Com boom and bust.

Companies adopted the advertising business model to monetize their products and services. Users got free products and services, but they (their data) became the product. Privacy was also eroded in the pursuit of profit.

Governments were late to the game to protect privacy and consumers. Technology has become so ubiquitous that governments are unable to rein it in or apply meaningful regulation.

The negative consequences on people and society are becoming more acute and apparent.

The Cynical Consequences

I'll examine the negative consequences through the Cynical Theory framework lens.

1. Selfish

Are people more selfish than a decade ago?

It is evident that they are, and they are increasing in numbers.

More people think they are entitled. Do you encounter people who demand special/preferential treatment, who are unwilling to wait or obey rules, manipulate others for personal gain, display arrogance and disrespect, lack empathy and consideration for others, blame others for personal failures, feel entitled to others' resources or time, and ignore boundaries and personal space?

Entitled behavior is characterized by a sense of entitlement, self-centeredness, and a lack of consideration for others' rights and boundaries.

There is no greater example than the hbp. He continues to exhibit stratospheric levels of selfishness. He does not care about anyone but himself – the epitome of selfishness.

Unfortunately, he is setting an example for millions of followers, thus multiplying the selfishness quotient in the world.

The Cynical Age is characterized by more people putting their short-term interests first, to the detriment of others or even THEIR OWN long-term benefits.

2. Overriding Concern

The hbp's followers are an example of the adverse effects of an overriding concern contributing to negative decisions for the individual.

If we examine the demographics of his supporters, we find several groups. Let's analyze some of them.

Working-class voters, who have been negatively affected by changes in manufacturing, construction, and mining industries think hbp will bring their jobs back. Anyone struggling financially and expecting trickle-down economics to improve their lives is ignoring that it is proven not to work.

Older adults (+50) who are concerned with healthcare, Social Security, and Medicare ignore the fact that hbp and the Republican Party have constantly and consistently attempted to roll back these types of entitlements.

Evangelical Christians have decided to hold their nose and turn a blind eye to the character flaws of the hbp. It is a conspicuous example of hypocrisy when they override the principles and teachings of Christianity in the pursuit of their goals by any means.

You will find more examples of this behavior with simple research.

The Cynical Age is characterized by people adopting an ideology or behavior that unwittingly works against their self-interest.

3. Your History

You are a pawn to your brainwashing.

Bigotry, racism, prejudice, and other forms of intolerance are taught.

Once established in the mind of someone, it is difficult to dislodge those beliefs because they become the core of who they are. Any attempt to change beliefs is viewed as an attack on the person's ego; only someone with a strong ego is open to change.

Technology contributes to the ease individuals can find others and form communities. Tribal beliefs are reinforced by filtering, presenting, and amplifying messages congruent with their predisposed biases.

The selfish interests of companies pursuing profit drive social media algorithms. Companies ignore the personal and societal harm inflicted. Government and regulations lag in their protection of the populace.

Few people recognize the social media trap they have fallen into; even fewer have the ability and will to escape.

The Cynical Age is characterized by widespread brainwashing aided and abetted by technology.

4. Interaction

We are social beings.

We take comfort in belonging to a tribe.

We often rely on the tribe to establish and validate our identity.

If we lack good judgement and let brainwashing pick our tribe, we become a victim to those who prey on others. It has been happening since humans banded together for survival. The weak were repressed by the powerful.

Society worships those who have achieved power over others.

Society worships those who have achieved the surrogate of power: money.

Society has become a game in which the group that can hold sway over others wins. The winner's will overrides the desires of others.

Technology has enabled the shift from a society that believes in personal values and character to the pursuit of attention, money, and power.

The Cynical Age is characterized by an erosion of mutual contribution toward societal good and has become focused on selfish interests.

5. Culture

For a time, technological advancement made the world smaller.

We could easily communicate with people on the other side of the world.

We could easily travel to distant places; we could easily move and live in another part of the world.

We could experience and increase our understanding of other cultures through travel to many countries, or we could experience the food and culture immigrants brought to our country.

But 9/11 was a catalyst that morphed attitudes towards people who were, in some way, different. There was no longer a wonder and tolerance of the differences. There was no longer a celebration of the contribution these differences make to our society as a whole.

Society became more insular, parochial, and narrow-minded. Those who were different were subject to ridicule, bigotry, and outright racism. Thinking and behavior became small: only look out for myself and others like me.

Intolerance became the new norm for large swaths of society. Leaders emerged who rallied their tribe to denigrate and suppress those who were deemed the "enemy".

The Cynical Age is characterized by a fractured society, no longer adhering to principles of good and decency, that has been replaced by the cult of personality promoting entitlement, discrimination, and intolerance.

6. Holistic

The world is a system; maybe even a giant supercomputer as proposed by Douglas Adams.

Similar to Axiom 3 (You are your history), where our behavior affects others, at the macro level, actions in one country affect other countries.

Technology has enabled tribes to transcend distance and physical barriers. Ideas travel at the speed of light to distant corners of the globe.

Leaders leverage technology to increase their reach, amplify their message, and grow their tribe. They are no longer bound by space and time.

The repercussion is the Cynical Quotient (a measurement of the degree of selfishness) has increased exponentially.

The Cynical Age is characterized by the ease at which technology enables cause and effects, good or bad, to rapidly ripple around the world.

Summary

The Digital Age brought many changes and benefits to the world.

Like everything new, it can be perverted for nefarious purposes.

We can reflect on the words of Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web:

    It was to be a tool to empower humanity. The first decade of the web fulfilled that promise — the web was decentralised with a long-tail of content and options, it created small, more localised communities, provided individual empowerment and fostered huge value. Yet in the past decade, instead of embodying these values, the web has instead played a part in eroding them.

    5 years ago, when the web turned 30, I called out some of the dysfunction caused by the web being dominated by the self-interest of several corporations that have eroded the web’s values and led to breakdown and harm.

- Tim Berners-Lee, (2024-03-12) source

We are now fully in the Cynical Age. We observe and experience the negative consequences daily.

Next Steps

Now that you are aware of the noxious environment and behavior in our society, do you want to protect yourself from the detrimental effects of the Cynical Age?

There are solutions to counter the adverse effects and protect your interests.

First, there is education. Once you become aware of the dangers, you can take steps to protect yourself and your family.

Second, there is action. There are specific ways to minimize detrimental effects and prosper in this environment.

I want to help you learn how to conquer the Cynical World.