How Do Yuval Noah Harari and Jared Diamond Balance Technology Use?

TL;DR

Yuval Noah Harari and Jared Diamond recommend gaining technology’s benefits without becoming dependent on it or losing face-to-face social skills. Harari advocates balanced use and protected times when people are unreachable, while Diamond limits his cell phone use and describes clinical treatment for electronic-media addiction. Read on for their contrasting habits, concerns about constant connectivity, and practical ideas for disconnecting.

Transcript

it's really great to hear both of you like one thing that I was thinking about it I would like to start asking is whether you guys are on social media do you use like the Internet do you have a cell phone what do you do about it well I I try to use technology without being used by it so to use it smartly I I'm not against technology it might sound ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Balancing technology use is crucial to avoid negative impacts and dependency while harnessing its benefits.
• 🤔 Education systems need to focus on teaching individuals how to learn, adapt, and think critically to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
• 🌐 Global challenges, such as data colonialism and the climate crisis, require immediate attention and action.
• 🧑‍⚕️ Mental health issues may arise due to the inability to cope with rapid societal changes.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Yuval Noah Harari approach technology and social media?

Harari tries to use technology without being used by it. He uses social media and considers the Internet beneficial in his life, but argues that its promises and dangers require a balanced approach.

Q: How does Jared Diamond use his cell phone?

Diamond uses his cell phone to make calls and turns it on only when he wants to receive calls. He has learned to retrieve emails from it but has not learned to operate its camera.

Q: Why does Jared Diamond avoid social media?

Diamond says he does not use social media at all. Drawing on his fieldwork in New Guinea, he values the strong social skills associated with face-to-face communication and worries that dependence on indirect communication can erode those skills.

Q: What did Jared Diamond observe about communication in New Guinea?

Diamond says New Guineans communicated face to face when he first went there because they did not have cell phones or writing. He believes this helped them become highly skilled at understanding people and bargaining.

Q: Why can smartphones make people feel constantly at work?

Harari says workers were once unreachable by their bosses after arriving home. Smartphones now allow bosses or family members to reach people continually, making it harder for them to end the workday or refuse demands.

Q: What are technology sanctuaries?

Harari describes sanctuaries as places and times when teenagers and adults are completely unreachable. He argues that this freedom to disconnect should not be limited to rich or powerful people.

Q: Can people become addicted to electronic media?

Diamond says clinical psychology includes specialists who detoxify people addicted to electronic media. He describes patients surrendering their devices for the weekend, experiencing withdrawal at first, and then learning when to turn devices on and off.

Q: What is the main challenge of using technology wisely?

Both speakers recognize that technology offers substantial benefits while also creating risks. The challenge is to use those benefits without becoming dependent on devices, losing communication skills, or remaining perpetually reachable.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Definition: Balanced technology use means benefiting from devices without being controlled by them.

• Who: Harari uses social media and says the Internet has been wonderful in his life.

• Number: Harari met his husband on an online dating site 17 years ago.

• Who: Diamond does not use social media and uses his cell phone mainly for calls and email.

• Number: Diamond says he is 40 years older than Harari.

• Number: Diamond draws on 55 years of fieldwork on the island of New Guinea.

• Compare: New Guineans communicated face to face, while much modern communication occurs through words on a screen.

• Definition: Technology sanctuaries are places and times when teenagers and adults are completely unreachable.

• Step 1: People undergoing electronic-media detox leave all electronic devices in a pile at the door.

• Step 2: Clinical psychology helps them handle withdrawal and decide when to turn devices on and off.

• Compare: Smartphones can keep people constantly reachable for work, while earlier workers could become unreachable after going home.