Biologists believe that the appeal of social networks to us is explained by the evolutionary history of our species. Over the past few thousand years, we have developed the technologies necessary to fulfill our evolutionary desires. We have houses that protect us from wind, snow, and rain; we have high-calorie foods; we have pain-relieving drugs.
Something similar happens with knowledge. We spend our lives learning about the world and how to manage it.
We evolved to enjoy learning for its own sake. This increases our evolutionary fitness, so we evolved to find this behavior enjoyable.
There used to be very little information. But over the last 30 years, we have transformed the internet into an endless stream of data. Yet we spend most of our time on nonsense at best and misinformation at worst.
The online spaces we spend our time in are designed to take advantage of our evolving psychology. We are locked in an arms race with online platforms that track our behavior and use it as a guide to capture attention.
News materials are not equivalent to a doctor’s prescription. Consult a specialist before making a decision.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
