{"id":1222,"date":"2011-01-31T13:16:26","date_gmt":"2011-01-31T17:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/?p=1222"},"modified":"2011-05-22T16:44:20","modified_gmt":"2011-05-22T20:44:20","slug":"the-race-for-attention-is-making-our-society-more-egotistical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/2011\/01\/31\/the-race-for-attention-is-making-our-society-more-egotistical\/","title":{"rendered":"The Race for Attention is Making Our Society More Egotistical"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This post originally appeared on one of our favorite blogs, OWNI, 25 January, 2011. <\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Without indulging into the theories developed by radical\u00a0sociobiologists<\/a>, we can reasonably hypothesize that the development of the ego, vanity, and a sense of self-importance were more or less\u00a0the result of evolutionary adaptations needed for our species\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n

THE NATURAL NEED TO EMERGE FROM THE CROWD
\nIn prehistoric times, group survival depended on\u00a0the level of strength and stamina\u00a0individuals had in an insecure world where they were powerless against nature. They had to be strong enough to persevere over harsh weather conditions, long migrations, and other dangers in this savage world. They also had to be fit enough\u00a0to compete against other males for females, thus perpetuating their contribution to the gene pool.<\/p>\n

More than just mere strength was needed for survival:\u00a0The cohesion and solidarity of the groupallowed people to defend themselves against larger animals and organize collective hunts. In turn the group provided food security for everyone, justifying why collective actions were instated as an efficient method for survival.<\/p>\n

The final factor in group survival, and according to Darwin\u00a0the differentiation between humans and other species, is intelligence. This gave way to the development of better weapons for self-defense, the ingenious invention of the needle for making clothes, and the discovery of fire. Intelligence revolutionized man\u2019s potential by making him the master of nature instead of its slave.<\/p>\n

In modern times the problem of immediate survival has been replaced by another hazard:\u00a0the necessity to stand out from the crowd. Thus, people need a more refined skill set that is beyond basic communicative intelligence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>NEW COMMUNICATIONS AS A DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR
\nOur lifestyles are becoming increasingly urbanized. Human activity is focused on industrialization, which geographically constrains individuals to the city life. We are constantly surrounded by a sea of other people.<\/p>\n

Contemporary life emphasizes a uniformity in lifestyles which is attributed to the homogeneous nature of professional activities. The clone-like employee market has replaced the uniqueness of small trades and vendors, and the only way to be\u00a0reminded of the incredible economic diversity that can exist is through a trip to India.<\/p>\n

This standardization has further been fostered by the \u201cconsumer society,\u201d which relies on the mass productions of goods for survival. Who doesn\u2019t have an Ikea \u201cBilly\u201d bookshelf in their house?\u00a0Our consumer society encourages homogeneity and has sustained through other mechanisms that promote social differentiation (This has been demonstrated by the works of French sociologists Jean Baurillard in \u201cLa soci\u00e9t\u00e9 de consommation<\/a>\u201d and Pierre Bourdieu in \u201cLa distinction<\/a>\u201d).<\/p>\n

In the last few decades we have created new information technologies such as web 2.0 and social networking sites, leading to an explosion of global interactions. These new technologies are becoming a significant tool with our need to distinguish ourselves in economic, political, and sexual competitions.<\/p>\n

With every Facebook status update and every blog post, we are expressing that we are different and unique. We are proving we have value as an object of social and cultural consumption.\u00a0When having a conversation in everyday life, it is crucial that we are \u201cinteresting,\u201d \u201cfunny,\u201d or \u201coriginal.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, maintaining this level of uniqueness requires a significant amount of energy. We must become more and more cultured so we don\u2019t run out of things to say. We visit museums, go to the movies, makes crafts and home repairs to cultivate our creativity. The reality is that\u00a0we must retain the the attention of others, but this social paradigm makes it increasingly difficult to gauge other people\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

THE COMPETITION FOR ATTENTION
\nDriven by our need for social recognition, we are compelled towards constant action. There must always be something to do: work, read, watch TV, eat, sleep.\u00a0The fleeting thought of non-action is immediately dismissed\u00a0(contrary to other cultures, notably Buddhism). I suggest that you watch (or watch again)\u00a0\u201cKennedy et Moi<\/a>\u201d with the great Jean-Pierre Bacri.<\/p>\n

Being constantly on-the-go creates a deficit in the attention we give to others. We consolidate our emotional investments and our time for socialization, limiting ourselves to our family, close friends, and coworkers. Thus ensues vicious cycle: the more we are active in the name of socialization, the more scarce global attention becomes and the less likely it becomes to experience real socialization.<\/p>\n

Relationships between colleagues benefit from this arrangement because attention becomes \u201cforced.\u201d This probably explains why the bonds which develop in the work environment are so strong, either in a negative or positive sense. \u00a0There is increasingly more emotional confusions between personal and private relationships, as there are more opportunities for friendly interactions and disappointing encounters.<\/p>\n

Then there is also the addition of new media,\u00a0the new cultural practices. The explosion of video games, computers and social networks are piled on top of older technologies such as the television, radio and newspaper. These new cultural practices squander the time that could be used for real socialization. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to put down your Xbox console for a while, are you?\u201d, \u00a0\u201dOh, don\u2019t call me on Thursday, that\u2019s the day I watch my favorite TV show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Patrice Le Lay from TF1 preached about the \u201cthe brain time available,\u201d which he sold directly to advertisers. While the phrase created a bit of a stir, it was an honest statement; all he did was say aloud\u00a0the concept which every media company knows to be true.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>THE EGO: A DIFFERENT STRATEGY FOR ATTENTION
\nThe mechanisms are not new, but our changing lifestyles and\u00a0the explosion of new media tools amplifies this phenomenon. We must emphasize this change in order to emerge from the crowd, and because the new instruments afforded to us encourages this behavior. Recently developed electronic tools include blogs, social networking sites, the diversity of communication platforms (Flick\u2019r, Youtube, WAT), interactive sites (Rue89, 20 minutes, Le Post). Furthermore online newspapers are now allowing comments on their websites. The door to the ego and self-expression is officially open.<\/p>\n

The new credo is no longer \u201cknow how,\u201d but rather just \u201cknow.\u201d\u00a0The Christian values of humility are no longer effective traits in social society. Instead we must keep pushing ourselves above the crowd to have a chance of snatching valuable attention. This is the downfall of many young journalists, who think they can just get by on \u201cpersonal branding\u201c(which I wrote about in a previous post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Even if the Internet (like previous information technologies) fails to truly democratize culture and knowledge, at least it is turning into a good platform to promote talent. This accessible system permits individuals to break away from the crowd, including quality bloggers\u00a0(Maitre Eolas, Hugues Serraf, Versac) \u00a0and entertainers (Vinvin,\u00a0Mathieu Sicard<\/a>). The art of public speaking, which was previously dominated by media elites, can be used by anyone who wants to prove their value and stand out.<\/p>\n

THE RACE FOR ATTENTION CREATES FAKE EMOTIONS
\nThe result of this social game is the generation of false statements at emotions\u00a0in response to the demands imposed on us by society.\u00a0The rules of the game oblige us to have a fa\u00e7ade of happiness, because others value an individual who approaches problems with a smile on their face (but maybe not as much in their brains). This mechanism was correlated with the creation of\u00a0Japanese Kawii culture<\/a> (Also a good article on the subject is\u00a0\u201cl\u2019euphorie perp\u00e9tuelle<\/em><\/a>\u201d by Pascal Bruckner).
\n– It\u2019s the permanent care-free state-of-mind, \u201cgone fishing.\u201d
\n– It\u2019s the\u00a0exaggeration of positive statements, \u201cI had a GREAAAAAAT weekend!
\n– It\u2019s the sugar-coated words, \u201cYou\u2019re really amazing.\u201d
\n– It\u2019s the digital humor; to \u201cLOL\u201d is much more trendy than being serious and boring.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, maybe cynicism is really\u00a0a\u00a0type of symbolic domination over individuals and events.\u00a0Mocking demonstrates a sense of being external and superior to another object or person.<\/p>\n

A NEW SOURCE OF INEQUALITY
\nIn this competition for limited attention,\u00a0not all individuals have the same chances of success. Only the most interesting, funny, and charming people are spared from the harsh rules of the game.<\/p>\n

The people who are mediocre, uncultured, boring, and lack a sense of humor are the first social genocide\u00a0victims. Like most realities concerning social economic standing, the socially disadvantaged who are uneducated and have not experienced higher culture are the ones that fall behind. It\u2019s this group who don\u2019t see cultural films, don\u2019t go to modern art museums, and thus can\u2019t hold an acceptable conversation or have real value in the eyes of the middle and upper class.<\/p>\n

The \u201cno-conversation\u201d community can comfort the socially disadvantaged group. These are the people who strive to renovate the world through unconventional bits of information gathered here or there.\u00a0These are the youth who congregate on street corners, speak their own language, and follow their own rituals of belonging\u00a0which reassures they are locked into their own world.\u00a0ReadEdmond Husserl<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0\u201dph\u00e9nom\u00e9nologiste de l\u2019esprit.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

New media is not responsible for the nature of the socially-obsessed ego. Yet the homogeneity of lifestyles, the aggregation of people into city life, and new technologies truly amplifies this phenomenon. So I emerge exactly as who I am\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This post originally appeared on one of our favorite blogs, OWNI, 25 January, 2011. Without indulging into the theories developed by radical\u00a0sociobiologists, we can reasonably hypothesize that the development of the ego, vanity, and a sense of self-importance were more or less\u00a0the result of evolutionary adaptations needed for our species\u2019 survival. THE NATURAL NEED TO […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9967,10006],"tags":[4535,1311,10379,10377,10378,10376,942,13,4450,10374,732,66,3753],"class_list":["post-1222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary","category-guest-author","tag-attention","tag-bourdieu","tag-consumer-society","tag-crowd","tag-darwin","tag-ego","tag-facebook","tag-inequality","tag-jean-baudrillard","tag-owni","tag-social-media","tag-theory","tag-web-2-0"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1222"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2984,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1222\/revisions\/2984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/cyborgology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}