‘Inhumane’ social media is driving celebrities into exile, says philosopher de Botton
SOCIAL MEDIA has made society “inhumane”, as it ostracises people for having different opinions, a British philosopher has warned
Alain de Botton said that so many celebrities are now being sent into virtual exile for expressing an unpopular opinion that soon we will have to set up “colonies” for them. He believes it is a worrying trend which means many more are now simply too afraid to put their “head above the parapet”.
De Botton said modern technology and “groupthink” now stifle debate – as a society we are unable to “forgive” and instead drive people into exile.
Speaking on the Doing it Right with Pandora Sykes podcast, the 50-year-old said: “It’s deeply unfortunate, because a humane society is one that is able to forgive, where people are able to say sorry and move on. We’ve done away with that technologically and also sociologically. It’s one of the most pernicious and damaging aspects of our time and it’s literally inhumane.”
He predicted that in the coming years we may need to set up colonies for those who have “slipped up” and can go and join others who are no longer accepted in society purely because they have expressed a contrary opinion, adding: “It shouldn’t be this way and it’s horrific.” De Botton said that through this atmosphere of intolerance seen online, people are being driven into exile. This has caused many celebrities to become fearful of controversial conversations.
“I think that there is not a famous person on the planet who hasn’t in recent years questioned whether, in the current environment, having your
‘A humane society is one where people are able to say sorry and move on. We’ve done away with that’
head above the parapet is in any way worth it. It may simply no longer be.”
He continued: “I think the physical presence of a person softens a lot of our worst impulses. Would you cancel their entire existence? No.”
He added: “I think [social media] helps us forget our humanity. Modern technology has made the very useful work of forgetting, and therefore the forgiveness that comes through forgetting, almost impossible.”