By Noah Smith
Publication Date: 2025-12-01 11:12:00
New technologies almost always bring with them many problems and challenges for our society. The invention of agriculture caused local overpopulation. Industrial technology caused environmental pollution. Nuclear technology enabled superweapons that could destroy civilization. New media technologies are likely to cause social unrest and turmoil every time they are introduced.
And yet, how many of these technologies do you really wish had never been invented? Some people romanticize hunter-gatherers and medieval farmers, but I don’t see many of them rushing to live that lifestyle. I myself agree with this argument Smartphone-enabled social media is largely responsible for this For a variety of modern social ills, but I have always maintained that our social institutions will ultimately evolve in ways that minimize harm and increase benefit. When we look into the past, we generally understand that technology has almost always improved things for humanity, especially in the long run.
But…
