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BOOKS

Reading paper books is not just a nostalgic choice but a profoundly beneficial practice for mind and body alike. From enhancing cognitive development and reducing stress to preserving eye health and promoting emotional depth, the analog experience of reading offers a multi-dimensional pathway to wellness. In a fast-paced digital world, returning to the pages of a physical book is a powerful act of self-care and intellectual enrichment. It reminds us of the value of slowing down, engaging deeply, and embracing the timeless wisdom of the written word. READ MORE

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Damaged life according to Adorno

For Adorno, the good life is impossible under capitalism. Every attempt at genuine freedom, happiness, or intellectual independence is distorted by the system’s economic imperatives. Minima Moralia, written in exile, reflects his deep sense of displacement and pessimism about modernity. However, it is not simply a work of despair—it is also a critical tool, urging readers to resist the dehumanizing effects of capitalism through critical thought, cultural engagement, and an unwavering commitment to intellectual freedom. Life under capitalism is damaged not just because it is exploitative, but because it conditions people to accept their own subjugation, eroding the very possibility of authentic human existence.

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BOOK REVIEW

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

Schaake systematically critiques how democratic governments have failed to address the growing influence of private tech companies. She argues that by abdicating their regulatory responsibilities, states have allowed these corporations to assume roles traditionally reserved for public institutions. The consequences of this negligence are far-reaching: surveillance practices erode civil liberties, unregulated platforms amplify misinformation, and profit-driven decision-making undermines public accountability. Through examples such as the misuse of Pegasus spyware and the exploitation of social media for political gain, Schaake vividly illustrates the stakes of unregulated technological power.

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One such example is the Cambridge Analytica scandal, exposed by whistleblower Christopher Wylie, where data harvested from millions of Facebook users was weaponized to manipulate voter behavior during the Brexit referendum and the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. This case underscores how data misuse can distort democratic processes on a global scale. Closer to home, the recent elections in Romania provide another alarming example. Reports revealed that certain political parties leveraged bots and disinformation campaigns on social media platforms to polarize voters and suppress turnout in targeted demographics. These tactics, often facilitated by inadequate platform oversight, highlight the fragility of electoral integrity in the digital age. Schaake’s analysis resonates deeply in these contexts, as she calls for urgent reforms to safeguard democracy from such technologically mediated threats.

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BOOK REVIEW
Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back
By Ulises A. Mejias and Nick Couldry

Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back is a deeply important work. Mejias and Couldry offer a searing critique of Big Tech’s extractive practices while providing a framework for understanding and resisting the systemic injustices they perpetuate. By linking the past to the present, they challenge readers to see beyond the conveniences of modern technology and confront the structural inequalities that underpin it. This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about privacy, justice, and the future of democracy in the digital age. It is a powerful reminder that the fight against data colonialism is not just a battle for individual rights but a struggle for a more equitable and sustainable world.

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BOOK REVIEW

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.

A key strength of The Shallows lies in its exploration of neuroscience. Carr delves into the concept of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself in response to stimuli—and shows how our constant interaction with digital technologies reshapes neural pathways. Activities such as browsing the web, clicking hyperlinks, and juggling multiple tasks reinforce habits of shallow thinking while simultaneously eroding the neural connections that support deep reading and contemplation. Carr argues that this cognitive shift has profound implications for memory, learning, and intellectual engagement, as the brain becomes optimized for efficiency over depth.

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BOOK REVIEW

The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking. By Shannon Vallor

Recent events vividly reflect Vallor’s central arguments. Issues such as algorithmic bias, misinformation, and environmental challenges highlight the risks she warns about. For example, systems like OpenAI’s GPT-4 have been criticized for perpetuating biases embedded in their training data, illustrating how AI often mirrors past injustices. Similarly, misinformation campaigns powered by AI tools have undermined democratic processes in recent elections, deepening political polarization and eroding public trust.

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Parenting in the Age of Cybercapitalism: Navigating Consumption, Productivity, and Mental Health Challenges in Modern Family Life

Parents, particularly mothers, are pressured to maximize their efficiency—balancing work, caregiving, and self-care—while adhering to an ever-expanding list of prescribed behaviors from parenting literature, blogs, and social media influencers. These platforms fuel a cycle of comparison and inadequacy, subtly demanding that parents “consume” solutions to keep pace with societal expectations. Failing to do so risks not only personal guilt but also social exclusion, as parenting competence is increasingly tied to visible engagement with these digital ecosystems.

 

The heightened pressures of modern parenting may inadvertently contribute to the preparation of mentally ill adolescents, as evidenced by rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders among youth. Epidemiological data reveals alarming trends: studies show significant increases in the prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents, particularly post-pandemic. These challenges are often rooted in early-life dynamics, where parents’ struggles with perfectionism and overprotection intersect with children’s growing need for autonomy and resilience.

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BOOK REVIEW
Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism
By Robert Chapman

Robert Chapman’s Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism stands as a bold and illuminating critique of how capitalism has shaped the concept of "normality" and, in doing so, perpetuated systemic oppression of neurodivergent individuals. The book's interdisciplinary nature draws on philosophy, sociology, history, and economics, offering a nuanced exploration of the mechanisms through which capitalist systems construct, enforce, and exploit cognitive and behavioral norms. By weaving historical analysis with contemporary critique, Chapman joins a growing chorus of scholars, such as Judy Singer, Lennard Davis, and Michel Foucault, who have interrogated the socio-political dimensions of disability and neurodiversity.

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BOOK REVIEW
The Anxious Generation
BY Jonathan Haidt

Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation examines a crucial and troubling phenomenon: the sharp rise in adolescent mental health issues over the past decade. Drawing on a wealth of psychological, sociological, and historical research, Haidt argues that two profound societal changes—the decline of unsupervised free play and the mass adoption of smartphones and social media—are the twin culprits behind this crisis. According to Haidt, these changes have fundamentally rewired childhood and adolescence, leaving today’s youth more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide than previous generations.

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We have been conditioned and imprinted, much like Pavlov's dogs and Lorenz's geese, to mostly unconscious economic stimuli, which have become a global consensus and a global source of diseases.

Poenaru, West: An Autoimmune Disease?

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