Biochemical Determinism
Monday, May 5, 2025
Biochemical Determinism
Mark Granza writes a blog post exploring the peculiar and unique features of online interactions in contrast to live ones. He wades into the speculative biochemistry in a blog post No Honor Among Mutuals: How social media interactions are contributing to the crisis of masculinity. A snipple:
No research, as far as I know, has been published directly studying the impact of social media usage on testosterone levels. But studies have found that heavy social media usage spikes cortisol, a stress hormone that inhibits testosterone production and secretion. Lower testosterone production and secretion also lead to a decline in DHT, a steroid sex hormone that is primarily responsible for male sex differentiation and the traits most strongly associated with masculinity.
Because these biochemical changes are occurring at scale, they are changing society. They’re creating different default modes of interaction, and we are all too busy participating to notice. Virtual modes of confrontation have already spilled into the physical realm. Online patterns of speech already circulate IRL. I remember a friend telling a joke at a bar in NYC. One guy responded with: “lol”. I assumed that it meant he found it funny. But looking back, he wasn’t laughing. At one event, I tried to introduce one of my “mutuals” to a friend of mine, but he wouldn’t let me because my friend had him “blocked.” Whenever two people start an argument in public, there’s a good chance someone will pick up the phone and start filming. Almost everyone is aware of that and has adjusted, either becoming more cautious than they otherwise would be, or else more theatrical, fighting effectively for a chance to go viral.
The description is science-y enough to be rewarding: It gives the confidence of an explanation that is deep and profound and beyond our conscious control. We just can’t help ourselves but to act like jerks because biochemistry. Basta!
That’s probably a little unfair. I’m poking at and prodding the essay because it strikes me as conveniently satisfying, which makes me suspicious that it feels too good, and therefore should be subjected to closer scrutiny and kept under observation. But read the whole thing. Do online interactions and conflicts in social media favor the more distaff native skills? Or is this just a convenient male cop-out, made all the more palatable with the veneer of (male-appealing) proximity to hard physical science?
' I remember a friend telling a joke at a bar in NYC. One guy responded with: “lol”. I assumed that it meant he found it funny. But looking back, he wasn’t laughing. '
I get that. It's kind of thing you do when reading, as opposed to experiencing-live. Instead of actually laughing, you think, "Yeah, I guess that's the kind of thing I find somewhat funny. Good effort, at least ...".
Good morning. It's pleasantly cool today. The square for May 5 on my calendar has nothing in it but the number 5. How nice.