The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast 555. How the Internet Is Breaking Our Brains | Sam Harris
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Jun 12, 2025 
In a thought-provoking conversation, neuroscientist and author Sam Harris joins to discuss the erosion of trust in institutions amid rampant misinformation. They delve into how independent media and platforms exacerbate chaos, emphasizing the need for new moral frameworks. Harris warns of digital addiction and identity theft, highlighting the urgent requirement for integrity in journalism. The duo also addresses complex cultural narratives and the impact of impulsive social media interactions on moral discourse, culminating in a clarion call for discernment in a fractured information age.
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Culture Needs Shared Stories
- The information landscape has shattered due to hyper-connectivity and infinite, fragmented communication channels.
- A culture requires shared stories and reference points, which are breaking down in the digital age.
Echo Chambers Erode Cultural Immunity
- Social media and the internet allow endless confirmation of any opinion, creating echo chambers with little friction for false beliefs.
- This digital environment destroys the previous cultural immune system that moderated misinformation through embodied social interaction.
Postmodernism Fragments Truth
- The postmodern rejection of uniting metanarratives leads to infinite narratives without a rank order of validity.
- The concept of misinformation presupposes some narratives are invalid, a necessity for meaningful discourse.