Society Archives

Why Is Big Tech Bad? The 5 Ways It Harms Society

Why is Big Tech bad? How, exactly, do these companies harm society? Scott Galloway identifies five ways in which the Four (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google) have negatively impacted society. He discusses job destruction; prioritizing profit over privacy, national security, and democracy; tax avoidance; elimination of competition; and contributing to the decline of the middle class. Read more to learn how Big Tech companies inflict damage in their fight for market dominance.

Russian Xenophobia During the Soviet Era: Solzhenitsyn Explains

What were Soviet citizens told about the West? How did the government exploit the xenophobia it created? One way the Soviet government indoctrinated its citizens was by setting up a kind of us-versus-them mentality. This provided the impression that the Soviet Union was the bastion of morality and strength and had to be defended unquestioningly against other, more corrupt nations. Learn how the Soviet government cultivated Russian xenophobia and then exploited it to gain more power.

Questioning the Validity of the World Happiness Report

What is the World Happiness Report? How accurately do the WHR rankings reflect national standards of living? The World Happiness Report aims to rank national happiness based on respondents’ answers about their quality of life. According to Vaclav Smil, the author of Numbers Don’t Life, we shouldn’t take the survey’s results at face value. Here’s why the World Happiness Report isn’t fully accurate.

The Top 5 Breastfeeding Myths—Debunked!

What are the most common breastfeeding myths? How does breastfeeding impact your and your baby’s health? According to Emily Oster, people tend to have strong opinions about which parenting choices make you a good parent, but Oster wants to empower parents to make their own, informed decisions based on data. In her book Cribsheet, she debunks common breastfeeding myths based on her meticulous research. Keep reading to learn the top five breastfeeding myths Oster examined in her book.

Propaganda in the USSR: Revisionism & Euphemisms as Weapons

How did propaganda in the USSR operate? What tactics succeeded in misleading the masses? From the 1930s on, the Soviet Union had an extremely robust and powerful propaganda system, exerting near-total control over how the government was depicted in the media, literary fiction, and education. This was done primarily through historical revisionism and the use of euphemisms. Continue reading for insights from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on Soviet propaganda.

Putting the Challenge of Carbon Reduction Into Perspective

Is it possible to lower CO2 emissions to a safe level? How long do we have left until climate change is irreversible? Carbon reduction is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. According to Vaclav Smil, the author of Numbers Don’t Lie, the prospects of succeeding at this endeavor are not currently looking bright. Here’s why significantly curbing carbon emissions is nearly impossible, according to Smil.

Razor Blades in Halloween Candy: What Is Halloween Sadism?

How worried should you be about razor blades in Halloween candy or other forms of tampering? What is Halloween sadism? From razor blades in Halloween candy to poisoned Pixy Stix to rainbow fentanyl—fear about tainted Halloween candy persists. However, before you get too worried, you should know how much of this urban legend is true. Read on to learn about the origins of razor blades in Halloween candy, Halloween sadism, and how to tell fact from fiction.

Facebook and Politics: Scandals, Polarization, & Fake News

What was the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Did Russia really place divisive ads on Facebook? According to Scott Galloway, Facebook is perhaps the worst Big Tech offender when it comes to prioritizing profit over privacy and democracy. He discusses Facebook’s scandals affecting the 2016 election, its polarizing ad model, and its refusal to take responsibility for fake news on its platform. Keep reading to learn about the troubling history of Facebook and politics.

What Is the Most Accurate Quality of Life Indicator?

What is the best measure of a country’s standard of living? What is the problem with using GDP per capita as a quality of life indicator? According to Vaclav Smil, the author of Numbers Don’t Lie, the most important measure of the quality of life in a country is not GDP per capita, as many people believe. It’s the infant mortality rate. Here’s why infant mortality more accurately reflects the standard of living.

The Four by Scott Galloway: Overview & Key Takeaways

What are “the four” of big tech? What makes them so? Should—and can—they be reigned in? In The Four, Scott Galloway takes a hard look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. He discusses their success and their impact, how their power might be limited, who’ll be the next tech giant, and how you can make it in the economy they’ve created. Keep reading for our overview of this important book.