This was such an interesting read. It made me come back to the question I've been contemplating some weeks ago if the current trend for wellness, intention, and calmness is a result of being exposed to too many impulses both online and in real time.
Thanks Ksenia! definitely, there's an overwhelming desire to detox from all the dopamine, a life where we give in to our impulses day in day out is not sustainable
Great piece Alexi. I think one of the lesser acknowledged aspects of this topic is the sociopolitics of the Comedown. People have been feeling crap after a big party for decades, but when you are dealing with the multifaceted sense of semi-existential dread that hangs over life for so many today, that recovery period starts to look darker. Rotting in bed for a day with access to social media is no longer a day of self indulgent recovery, but a doomscroll of doubt and dread.
Gen Z seem to be much more driven by seeking a sense of certainty, and some of that might be down to a need for emotional regulation in very uncertain times.
Thanks! yeah bang on, the comedown often isn't worth it for a generation that put a lot of importance on emotional control amid uncertainty. Being able to comfortably let loose and blow off steam (and the consequential dopamine depletion the next day) requires stability and a sense of optimism in other areas of life; otherwise, it takes on a darker, more self-destructive undertone
Reminiscent of Mikhail Bakhtin's 'Rabelais and His World.' Will imposing conformity upon unruly masses work this time? Sounds like your research says "at least a little."
This was such an interesting read. It made me come back to the question I've been contemplating some weeks ago if the current trend for wellness, intention, and calmness is a result of being exposed to too many impulses both online and in real time.
Thanks Ksenia! definitely, there's an overwhelming desire to detox from all the dopamine, a life where we give in to our impulses day in day out is not sustainable
Great piece Alexi. I think one of the lesser acknowledged aspects of this topic is the sociopolitics of the Comedown. People have been feeling crap after a big party for decades, but when you are dealing with the multifaceted sense of semi-existential dread that hangs over life for so many today, that recovery period starts to look darker. Rotting in bed for a day with access to social media is no longer a day of self indulgent recovery, but a doomscroll of doubt and dread.
Gen Z seem to be much more driven by seeking a sense of certainty, and some of that might be down to a need for emotional regulation in very uncertain times.
Thanks! yeah bang on, the comedown often isn't worth it for a generation that put a lot of importance on emotional control amid uncertainty. Being able to comfortably let loose and blow off steam (and the consequential dopamine depletion the next day) requires stability and a sense of optimism in other areas of life; otherwise, it takes on a darker, more self-destructive undertone
Reminiscent of Mikhail Bakhtin's 'Rabelais and His World.' Will imposing conformity upon unruly masses work this time? Sounds like your research says "at least a little."
Not familiar with Bakhtin's writings, will check it out!