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THE ISLAND
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Part II: |
THE ISLAND SYNDROME: Home Page
Look around and you will see that something strange is happening. People have become habituated to their phones, computers, Internet connections, music players, video games, television, and other "conveniences" of modern life to the point of addiction. Since the early 1990s, the way we talk, communicate, amuse ourselves — even the way we think — has changed radically. Some of this is good; much of it isn't. For some time now, I have been working on a new book discussing how people, especially young people, are adapting to our changing environment. After many hours of researching and thinking, I have come to appreciate just how important our changing times are to the human race. What we are experiencing is much more than a simple bump in the road. We are living through a profound shift in human events, one that is obvious and, at the same time, so subtle that it is barely understood. My job, as a writer and synthesist, is to create new ideas by reasoning from the specific to the general. That is: I read, I study, I make notes, I talk to other people, and I spend a lot of time thinking. Over the last few years, I have developed some important ideas that I am using as the basis for my next book. In advance of the book's completion, I would like to share these ideas with you. The title of the new book is: The Island Syndrome The subtitle is: Important Ideas to Help You Understand Life in a Dehumanizing Culture The title of the book comes from an essay published in 1624, by the English metaphysical poet John Donne (1572-1631). Within this essay, Donne writes: "...No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind..." What Donne is telling us is that, for better or for worse, we have a biological need to be deeply connected to the people around us, and anything that interferes with such connections has the potential to cause us trouble — whether or not we are aware of what is happening. We will talk about this thought in detail, later, as we cover a variety of different topics. For now, however, let me welcome you to this part of my Web site. To start, let me invite you to read a (relatively) short essay entitled Young Girls and Phones. In this essay, we will discuss why so many young girls — as young as 9 or 10 years old — have an extremely strong desire to have their own phone. My guess that the you will be surprised at the complexity of the reasons behind such a common phenomenon. Next, we will discuss the Island Syndrome itself in detail. This discussion is divided into two parts. In Part I, we will take an overall look at what is happening, why, and how it is important. In Part II, I will explain many of the scientific details, in order to give you a firm understanding of the reasons behind many of these changes. Specifically, I want you to be able to understand why so many people continue to embrace the behaviors and habits that are giving them so much trouble. It is my hope that, what you are about to read will be both interesting and useful to you. At the very least, I promise you will not be bored. 
© All contents Copyright 2024, Harley Hahn
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THE ISLAND
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