[jarnagin]

George Saunders gave an interview with the Guardian earlier this year[0] in which he said, “ There’s something wonderful about the spontaneity of social media, but I think at this point it’s becoming 100% toxic for people to be firing off the top of their brains. One of the things [the book I’m writing] says is that the deeper parts of our brain are actually more empathic. If you revise something 20 times, for a mysterious reason, it becomes more social, empathic and compassionate. With Chekhov, you feel he’s always saying: “Well, what else?”, “Is there anything else I should know?”, or “Maybe I’m wrong.” And all of that seems to be designed to foster love, or at least some kind of relation to the other that’s got possibility. So I’m not a fan of social media. I’m not on it. And I won’t be, because I think it’s killing us, actually. I really do.” I had never considered it from this angle before, but I think he’s right. The internet’s superpower—frictionless engagement—is also it’s greatest shortcoming because of who we are as people.

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/02/george-saunder...