Evolution in the Material Structure of Reproduction of Symbols
Discussion
Pierre Levy:
"The main factor in the evolution of ideas lies in the material structure of reproduction of symbols.
Throughout history, symbols (with the ideas they conveyed) have been successively perpetuated by writing, simplified by the alphabet and paper, multiplied by printing and electrical media. Today, symbols are digitized and calculated, that is, a series of software robots – algorithms – record them, count them, translate them and extract patterns. Symbolic objects (texts, static or animated images, voices, music, programs, etc.) are not only recorded, reproduced and transmitted automatically, but also generated and transformed industrially. In short, cultural evolution has led us to the point where ecosystems of ideas manifest themselves as data driven by algorithms in a ubiquitous virtual space. And it is in this space that social bonds are formed, maintained and dissolved. Before criticizing or deploring, we must first acknowledge the facts. Young people’s friendships can no longer be made without social media; couples meet online, for example, on apps like Tinder (see Figure 1); families stay connected through Facebook or other apps like WhatsApp; workspaces have shifted to electronic ones with Zoom and Teams, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic; diplomacy is increasingly conducted on X (formerly Twitter), etc. There is no going back. On the other hand, we are not moving less physically: as evidenced by the monstrous traffic jams in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. In the same vein, the trend of the last ten years – an era of exponential growth in internet connections – also shows an increase in the number of air passengers, which continues to be a secular trend, despite having suffered a significant decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
I felt very lonely when, as a young student, I arrived in Paris from the south of France to continue my university studies. It was 1975 and there was no Internet. Should elderly people who live alone and are not visited by their children blame the Internet? The problem of loneliness and the disintegration of social ties is very real. But it is a long-standing trend, due to urbanization, changes in the family, and many other factors."
(https://www.pucpress.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CADERNOS_DO_CONTEMPORANEO_0000_P.pdf)
More information
- Book by Pierre Levy: Collective Intelligence