If We’re Addicted to Technology, What’s the Cure?

News Snapshot:

A response to Julián Herbert’s “Void.” On Tuesday, 33 states filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, “has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens.” A central allegation in the suit is that “by algorithmically serving content to young users according to variable reward schedules, Meta manipulates dopamine release in its young users, inducing them to engage repeatedly with its Platforms—much like a gambler at a slot machine.” We are desperately afraid of becoming addicted to our machines—the theme of “Void,” Mexican novelist Julián Herbert’s moody...