Are we as Individuals becoming Pavlov’s Dogs to the marketing and media industry that works on behalf of Corporations/Governments , but who in turn are themselves ultimately controlled by other institutions that are all interconnected with each other. So the individuals forming a collective to create an illusion of distanced reason and power that says ” we want THEM, whoever the THEM are, to respond like Pavlov’s Dogs to OUR stimuli for OUR advantage. But without realizing that they themselves are also individuals like us, and are being conditioned within themselves to respond to THEIR own stimuli in a Pavlovian way.
Though there is a different and a conditioned Pavlovian Response by the collective. Of groups formed for specific intentions of control, that takes them out of the general consumerist behaviour pattern for the period they are in that group. But hey, watch all the modern economic models of the world, and you realize that a Pavlovian response is what drives them on a psychological level. Is that what I do when I make a film. Try and step out of being Pavlov’s dog in one level, and then step into another conditioned response on another level. Am I a free thinker any more ? Is free thinking possible at any level of a world conditioned to be driven by sensationalism ?
In an increasingly hyped competitive environment , created by these collectives themselves, these collectives/corporations/ governments too are becoming Pavlovian in the their decision making and the actions against each other.
As the world goes more sensational is anybody safe ? As we lose the idea of stillness. As we run scared always, that a moment of non action is defeatist, we are driven to constant reaction (the psychology of what happens when the sales of branded goods open – often like a mass hysteria). As we consume news, information and media at highly sensational levels, provoking us towards sensational reactions, consuming as we are more out of ‘fear of not consuming’ than a real innate need to satisfy beyond sensationalism. The picture that is fast emerging is of us as Pavlovian Dogs , tail constantly wagging, tongues hanging out in hyper expectation of the next sensation, aching to respond in a more robotic way. We are becoming reactive creatures rather than active one. Isn’t that how we define Robots ?
Robotic , did I say ? Extreme sensationalism and a constant Pavlovian response to that leads to more and more robotic behaviour. Defined as common mass response. And as I argued even within the collectives/corporations/sates there is clear Pavlovian behaviour patterns. So the question for debate is :
Is mass media including social media leading to more Individuality, or more Robotic behaviour ? Are we closer to George Orwell’s 1984 than ever before ? Isaac Asimov wrote some the best science fiction novels ever on this premise in his Foundation series. Does his book ‘I Robot’ take on a different meaning than potrayed in the film with that name ?
Phew – what a scramble of thoughts trying to find coherence – trying to steer away from the political overtones of the ‘corporation vs us’ argument – and finding whether the whole system and way of life now has become so sensationalistic that at every level we exhibit robotic behaviour.