REFLECTION: Connection is an act of resistance
The technologies that were supposed to facilitate widespread connection are keeping us more isolated from each other and our environment than ever before. But the antidote to our crisis-ridden age has always been with us: investing in our fellow humans and the rituals that unite us.
Reflection: Connection as a means of resistance
The technologies intended to foster widespread connection seem to be creating more isolation among individuals and the environment than ever before. However, the solution to our troubled age has always been within our reach: investing in our fellow humans and the rituals that bind us together. As the founder and leader of the Campaign on Digital Ethics (CODE), I ponder the control of technologies shaping our lives, such as platforms, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and their impact on elections, disinformation, surveillance, and corporate power.
While we may be more connected technically than ever, loneliness is rampant. We can converse with someone on another continent without truly knowing our neighbours. Our relationships, ambitions, politics, and sorrow often pass through platforms designed to exploit our attention. The rise of AI has given birth to synthetic intimacy and companionship.
Could this disconnection be merely a byproduct of our current political moment, or an integral aspect of it? Authoritarianism and oligarchy rely on separation, as do they thrive on the idea that a select few can survive while others are abandoned. This separation is a logical conclusion of neoliberal politics, which has long told us that we are individuals before members of communities, consumers before citizens, and somehow disconnected from the ecological systems that sustain our existence.
Against this backdrop, I have spent much of this year collaborating on an experimental dance production called Bhūmi, which will be performed at the Joburg Theatre on November 13 and 14. Dance, a lifelong pursuit, has allowed me to grapple with these political questions from a different perspective. The production emerged from questions about our relationship with the Earth, but it has also become a process of understanding the same concerns that fuel my political work through a distinct lens.
Art, as my primary medium, provides a unique space to feel and express these ideas. While policy submissions, articles, and speeches may analyze the issues, dance allows me to experience them. The ancient Indian classical artform of Bharatanatyam, which I have practiced for decades, has taught me the value of time, repetition, and full-body engagement. In this era of instant gratification and efficiency, dance provides a counterbalance, asking us to inhabit our bodies and pay attention to our fellow performers.
As we confront the challenges of our time, the arts, including dance, offer a crucial role in rebuilding social cohesion. Investment in arts and culture could become integral to South Africa's future, as envisioned in the Indlulamithi 2035 scenarios. Shared experiences in theatres and cultural spaces may help us confront difficult ideas, foster collective experiences, and rebuild relationships in an increasingly individualised and technologically mediated world.
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