Beyond the resort, unplugging from Instagram
If you haven’t watched White Lotus, don’t expect this to be a spoiler. I think it would easily pass the Lindy effect, so go watch it. What looks like the perfect “Too Hot to Handle” scenery from afar, nothing more far from reality, the White Lotus has proven to be a raw and satiric analogy of today’s world. Each dialog brings topics discussed by mankind long ago.
I’m running through an experiment and putting myself in the feet of renowned thinkers in the past. How would they explore the critiques of society from different ideologies? What open-ended question they would ask themselves?
Karl Marx. Talking about Marxism without jargon is like eating a bread without salt. White Lotus depicts a fight of classes and how the routine becomes cyclical. Its systemic exploitation of the working class by the ruling bourgeoisie. Marx is critical of the capitalist system that perpetuates this class divide and views the guests' hedonistic behaviors as symptomatic of the alienation and inequality inherent in capitalism.
Is the tragic ending a revolutionary death or a cover-up by the system?
Friedrich Engels. Engels would probably be the olive oil to the “Marx” bread analogy. Engels observes the gendered division of labor among the hotel staff as well as the division of minds between rich and poor people.
Why is poor people offering advice to rich people that can’t be bought with money and how is this defining their relationship?Lenin. Lenin would be critic of the guests' apathy towards the suffering of the working class, he calls for revolutionary action to overthrow the guests behaviour. He could also be critic of our relationship with materials and how we become slaves of ourselves in way way or another.
Could the resort’s employees be guided towards a revolution?Adam Smith. Smith views the White Lotus resort as a manifestation of the market forces at work. He sees the guests' demand for luxury services and the hotel staff's supply of those services as voluntary exchanges in the free market, guided by self-interest.
Are the resort’s activities an example of the greater good of society or an unfair exploitation of resources?Henry Ford. Ford looks at the White Lotus resort as a prime example of efficient organization and production. He admires the hotel's streamlined operations, where each staff member has a specific role to play, and the guests' needs are met in a systematic manner.
Can the guests' needs be met in a systematic manner?Friedrich Hayek. Hayek appreciates the spontaneous order of the White Lotus resort. He sees the interactions between the guests and the hotel staff as a complex network of voluntary exchanges and social coordination. Hayek values the guests' freedom to make choices and the hotel staff's autonomy in providing services.
How are the powerful characters, with or without money, end up getting what they want without a central authority?
In January, I deactivated my Instagram account. And I’m not missing it. I used it to filter summer pics, crazy night out, dopamine boost, unhealthy curiosity, like-farmer, reinventing by sharing quarter albums, and more. But I believe the platform doesn't help me become better anymore but just FOMOing.
Now I’m viewing it through the lens of an overtaxed dopamine system. Every time I open Twitter or Instagram, I experience a rush of dopamine as we anticipate the excitement of discovering something new, much like a rat pressing a lever for a pellet of cocaine. This addictive cycle keeps us coming back for more, seeking that dopamine hit again and again.
Sometimes I just think of platforms as an opportunity to be “good”. Aspirational quality arises when you can be "good" at an app. Most become spectators until they find the right platform.
Each platform offers something unique: Twitter for communal short takes, Instagram for photography and visual aesthetics, Substack for writing thoughts, TikTok for video, content opportunities, etc.
But the fallacy of social networks is that you think you choose the platform, but in reality the format chooses you. Social networks are like countries, compelling you to leave your established life and move to a new one. BeReal as an example, selling the "American dream" to people on other platforms. They can become something they weren't before (aspirational). It's like a new political party selling a new approach to running a country, maybe through apps, subscriptions, timely notifications, etc.
I'd like a platform where I can share my audios, photos and videos. Where the ultimate metric is not the number of likes and followers but the connections you resurface. Where more usage is not better but counterproductive. Where you can compartmentalize your memories and your friendships. Probably something that starts looking like a journal. Evolves into a group of people that want to do something together to eventually earn royalty in the group.
I’m not in a position of giving advice to anyone. But I like the idea of making analogies, specially if they are this fun.
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom,” Marcel Proust