The digital death of self-awareness

Have you looked in a mirror lately? 

We hear that expression a lot these days. It asks someone to reflect on their own behavior before critizing others. Most people, though, are no longer interested in that kind of microscopic self-scrutiny. Instead, they look at their phones.

Tech devices are the modern go-to tools for self-awareness. Notifications flashing across a screen provide instant love from virtual friends and confirmation bias too. This is a dangerous combination in my opinion.

Remember Snow White’s evil stepmother? She also needed obsessive reassurance. She compulsively consulted the nearest device, a magic mirror on the wall, about the status of her great beauty. It didn’t matter if the mirror’s affirmation was true or not.

We’re becoming just like her, choosing to hear, read or see only what we want. Powerful algorithms are enhancing our tunnel vision, performing the magic trick of not showing us what we find disagreeable or worse, might cause us to change our minds about something.

Many users now go on line solely to be reassured that their views still place them firmly on the side of the angels. Likes and shares provide that reassurance, ignoring the fact that everyone in siloed social media circles think the same way. Likewise, an op-ed piece from a favourite news source may validate your point of view but sidelines understanding another opinion from outside your own echo chamber, especially if you never bother to read other news sources.

In short, our on-line behavior is baking in our biases. The result has been toxic groupthink and self-censorship. Many people are frightened to say something different or indeed, say anything at all.

“When a group of people unknowingly limit their thinking to restrictive identity norms or a virtual bubble with narrow information, whether they are the attackers or the victims, the groupthink can be blinding,” writes neuroscientist and author Jenara Nerenberg is her new book “Trust Your Mind: Embracing Self-Silencing in a Nuanced World.”

“No one is authentically themselves anymore, and the quiet questions only increase,” she writes. 

The author connects self-awareness to critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence. They are necessary tools, she believes, to mitigate the dangers of group conformity. If those skills are allowed to languish, society risks descending into toxic groupthink, self-silencing, and real world consquences. 

Maybe it’s time we all took a minute to look in the mirror. I’ll go first.

I’ve already been crystal clear about what I find negative about the Internet (and indeed, do so on a regular basis in this blog). But just now, I stepped back from my computer screen to remind myself of the countless positives too.

I couldn’t have written this post without the Internet! The access it gives me to vast amount amounts of information about digital minimalism has helped me enormously, not only in my understanding of today’s issue of self-awareness, but so much else I am curious about. It also allows me to post what I have written. There was a time in my life when I would have killed to be able to share my writing.

My online platforms and socials provide on-going support and cheerleading for my writing and now, the work of my family fighting climate change in Costa Rica at Finca Cántaros. The Internet helps us to raise awareness and funds to spread the word about the importance of environmental education for communities. It’s also allowed me to post cute pictures of my grandchildren. I love that!

Finally, the Internet can, if used wisely, be a tool for personal growth and self-improvement. I would never have learned to meditate, for example, without my apps. 

So while it can be a source of distraction and negativity, the Internet’s powers can be a positive force too. It’s up to me to cultivate a balanced, healthy approach to the way I use it.

Taking all that into account, I won’t be avoiding any mirrors. Besides, they still can be useful for reapplying lipstick.