RexLegendi reviewed Lonely Century by Noreena Hertz
Review of 'Lonely Century' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Little by little, we are learning to understand the risks behind digital technologies. In 2020, AI experts raised concern about the effects of social media on society and our wellbeing in the documentary The Social Dilemma. Economist Noreena Hertz (1967) picks up the discourse in The Lonely Century. Her bottom-line: loneliness has become a major threat in increasingly digital environments with consequences not just for individuals, but for society as such. In the end, loneliness can even be a driver for totalitarianism.
Throughout the book, Hertz describes how loneliness manifests itself. Some examples are intense, such as elderly people in Japan trying to enter prison to find company, or millennials in the US paying for friendship or a hug. Digital technologies play a pivotal role, although they are certainly not the only source: discrimination, segregation and the loss of public services are among the many contributing factors. Hertz …
Little by little, we are learning to understand the risks behind digital technologies. In 2020, AI experts raised concern about the effects of social media on society and our wellbeing in the documentary The Social Dilemma. Economist Noreena Hertz (1967) picks up the discourse in The Lonely Century. Her bottom-line: loneliness has become a major threat in increasingly digital environments with consequences not just for individuals, but for society as such. In the end, loneliness can even be a driver for totalitarianism.
Throughout the book, Hertz describes how loneliness manifests itself. Some examples are intense, such as elderly people in Japan trying to enter prison to find company, or millennials in the US paying for friendship or a hug. Digital technologies play a pivotal role, although they are certainly not the only source: discrimination, segregation and the loss of public services are among the many contributing factors. Hertz outlines an overall view, but zooms in on the consequences of technologies: the smartphone standing in the way of human interactions (even when we don’t use them), social media creating new modes of exclusion and cyberbullying, et cetera. At work, the implementation of AI and robotics leads to a loss of purpose, security and social standing.
Hertz is not overly pessimistic however, as technologies create opportunities too. She emphasises that social media can boost activists or marginalised groups, and that individuals can benefit from the presence of robots. Despite these positive aspects, her objection remains that these technologies ultimately lead to loneliness, anti-social behaviour and increased distrust.
The danger is that a world in which machine have replaced humans in our affections and taken over the role of caregivers, is also a world that is fundamentally incompatible with the underpinnings of inclusive democracy, reciprocity, compassion and care.
I read The Lonely Century back-to-back with Éric Sadin’s essay [b:L'ère de l'individu tyran|55626615|L'ère de l'individu tyran La fin d'un monde commun (essai français) (French Edition)|Éric Sadin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602429535l/55626615.SX50.jpg|86747524]. In my opinion, Hertz’ work is more concrete and substantiated and therefore more persuasive. Her call for putting human well-being at the heart of the digital transition is clear and useful. The one thing that did bother me was her approach to the term loneliness, which she does not really define or elaborate on. Psychology offers interesting literature on the subject, but it is not addressed here.
