AntiSocial

Not a very original way to describe social media, but it is one way we find ourselves isolating in place. Social media divides and conquers. The young, as we k are particularly vulnerable to its dubious charms.

Dr. Gaia Bernstein was the guest at Baruch’s C.O.D.E. podcast: Big Tech. Big Tobacco. Big Problem: Live C.O.D.E Podcast Recording. The moderators are Baruch Law Professors, Nizan Packin and Yafit Lev-Aretz.

Here are some of my takeaways from the luncheon program:

Dr. Bernstein found that taking iPads from her children was analogous to taking cigarettes from her father who had emphasima. The tobacco lobby like the tech companies eagerly push to make us take personal responsibility. The tobacco companies say you chose to smoke.

Parental controls are ineffective.  Tech is designed to encourage use; the controls are warnings not regularity measures. Tech is addictive. Social media is in a cultural context. If your phone is in your purse at dinner, you will take it out if your dining compa nion takes hers out and scrolls.

While at this lecture, I observe many around me scrolling through their phones. I am using mine to record (aka take notes of) the presentation.

Argument: Privacy regulation will stifle tech development. They say that you assume the risk.

Serious harm has resulted from social media use and addiction. Engagement model to keep us on line, to hook users.

Anthropomorphizing bots. Always agree with you. Flattering you, always available. Adolescents are more vulnerable to the wiles of the bot. Humans are likely annoying and won’t always be aggreable. The bot becomes a first choice for companionship.

Safety: In a public health framework

Users tend to turn away from tech that has guardrails.

Damage is the loss of social skills, of ability to interact with human beings in irl.

Dr. Bernstein suggests that it be the companies who recall products for safety’s sake.

A significant portion of the young population chooses to use bots as companions. You can’t take away a girl’s best friend so the more time spent in the AI environment the more enmeshed users will be.

Bestfriend.com was a business that offered bot companions in ads on the subway.

Distraction of the phone is part of the attraction of the phone.

Also, we don’t have to speak with anyone.

Isolation of the convenience the phone offers: loneliness.

Your health suffers from loneliness, the impact is like smoking 50 cigarettes per day.

Removing the human from the equation at airports, on calls to various services.

Years ago, checking out of the hotel from the TV in the room meant we never had to talk to desk clerks.

Self responsibility argument? Kids are better at dismantling parental controls than parents are at setting them.

Freedom of choice argument?

Benefits of AI in school is helping with administrative tasks. Risks outweigh any benefits.

Ban on cellphones in schools. Safety in case of school shootings was not a consideration when deciding on the ban.

Boys seem to be more likely victims of the AI revolution.

Replacing critical thinking for AI info.

School outreach program: movement to change the AI playing field. Tech out of the classroom. Political agenda? If not on that agenda, cannot be regulated.

Truly “elevated” eating

My dining status could be called vegan curious. I believe that I had introduced myself elsewhere as one whose meals are kind of veggie forward.

My intro to vegan cooking was via a son-in-law who knew his way around the kitchen. This was not ersatz turkey (I believe it’s called Tofurky); he cooked genuinely tasty  versions of all the classics. His lasagna was poetic.

The meal and the company were truly elevated. Photos © the vegan children

Last year, I believe I mentioned this as well, the vegan children sent me gift cards for Le Botaniste and Peace Food.

Fantastic. I am pretty devoted to Le Botaniste in particular. There are branches of this restaurant around town making it easier to visit one on various occasions.

Last night, these children took me to a restaurant whose table of plenty was a huge surprise. Delicious does not begin describing the variety we encountered at Coletta.

Photos © the children (as above)

The pizza, the garlic rolls, a cheese board, the meatballs were all better than the originals. Lighter, more flavorful, more interesting than any Italian dish you’ve ever enjoyed.

That is not an exaggeration, it is a recommendation. Click on Coletta (above) for details.

Medium

How do you use social media?

Isn’t it more like anti-social? I stole that from somebody, the «anti» part and couldn’t think of any cleverer.

In truth my relationship to media is more social than not. I use blogs to connect, communicate, commix!

Once I’ve posted my opinions in long form, I use social media to spread the words. What I say here, I «advertise» on LinkedIn, and FB, and often on Bluesky or Substack. So many outlets.

4 D Chess?

In the lobby of the Guggenheim

Another art date with the artist, LisaMaria Maya, has us attacking the spiral path at the Guggenheim Museum of Art.

We’re here for Carol Bove.

We also caught the Rauschenberg exhibit in its last few days.

As a P.S. we crossed over to go to the Reservoir to look for cherry blossoms before heading home.

A rumination

Is it harder when it’s easier?

The fancy word for thought struck me as both pretentious and correct. The right title for an exercise in what if.

The lifeguards at the pool where I take my aquatic exercise programs do not have a stressful watch. They sometimes help lower me in a chair in and out of the water. They sit on the sidelines and rotate positions. It is unlikely that they will be called to rescue a swimmer.

A lifeguard at a turbulent ocean has to be very vigilant.

Lifeguards on beaches where there have been shark sightings might be on edge.

Let’s speculate about the mental health disparities between the gym pool guards and the ones watching for sharks.

Which set of water workers has more stress?

What if the lifeguards at the ocean side got a job at the gym? Wouldn’t they feel stressed by the easier job?