<div dir="ltr"><div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default">
<div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><span><span><b>The
Institute for Ethics in Public Life invites you to join us for "Did
social media break America?" TODAY at 3:30pm in
person or on Zoom.</b> </span></span><br><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><span><span><br></span></span><div style="margin-left:40px"><span><span>Almost three years ago, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt proposed that was the case in an article published in <i>The Atlantic</i> called <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1738425690468415&usg=AOvVaw0rRcl5r1GmXnLsUbrDYPXe" target="_blank">"Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid."</a>
He argues social media has undermined social cohesion, directly leading
to the fragmentation of American society and the associated political
polarization we experience today. In the article, he uses the metaphor
of the biblical story of the Tower of Babel to frame his analysis of
America today, suggesting that as with the descendants of Noah who
offended God by building the Tower of Babel, "[w]e are disoriented,
unable to speak the same language or recognize the same truth" today due
to social media. </span></span><br><span><span> </span></span><br><span><span>For
our conversation, we'll start by examining the argument he makes in
that article about the sources of American social fragmentation and
political polarization, and what it means for American democracy. Time
permitting, we'll also discuss what can be done about this. </span></span><br><span><span> </span></span><br><span><span>For further reading on the subject, see Haidt's "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.afterbabel.com/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1738425690468415&usg=AOvVaw33qRFQyp_fGZzbFPGIn1YJ" target="_blank">After Babel</a>" substack. </span></span><br><span><span></span></span><br><span><span>You
are welcome to join us in person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room at
the Institute for Ethics in Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom:</span></span><br><span><span> </span></span><br><span><span>Daniel Lake is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.</span></span><br><span><span></span></span><br><span><span>Topic: "Did social media break America?"</span></span><br><span><span>Time: Feb 5, 2025 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)</span></span><br><span><span>Join Zoom Meeting</span></span><br><span><span><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/88078209330&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1738425690468415&usg=AOvVaw1PJtX5ZjF0HXX7I5yuhlHv" target="_blank">https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/88078209330</a></span></span><br><span><span></span></span>
</div></div>
</div><br clear="all"></div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default">Upcoming at the Institute:</div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><br></div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif" class="gmail_default"><b>Feb. 12 (W) at 3:30pm in person and on Zoom: </b><span class="gmail-kma42e"><span>"Ethical
Issues with AI", with special guests Dr. Del Hart, Dr. Kevin McCullen,
and Dr. Jan Plaza of the Department of Computer Science.</span></span></div>
</div><br clear="all"></div><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2">Daniel Lake</font></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(pronouns: he/him/his)<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Assoc. Prof. of Political Science</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Hawkins 149A</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">101 Broad Street</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Plattsburgh, NY 12901</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(o) <a href="tel:(518)%5645833" value="+15185642217" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">518-564-5833</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">plattsburgh.edu</a></font></b><br></p></div><div dir="ltr"><img src="https://web.plattsburgh.edu/files/914/images/SUNY-Plattsburgh-Email-Logo-2018.jpg"><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>