It’s the beginning of 2025. 2024 was the hottest year on record with an average temperature of 1.6°C, a climate neve experienced by modern humans. This climate breakdown is supercharging extreme weather, causing droughts, floods, heat waves and storms, causing misery to millions of people.
We’re very likely to exceed the average 1.5°C on a decade period by 2030-2035 peaking at 1.8°C before ideally returning to safer levels by the century’s end; the next generation will experience escalating disasters unless transfortative action is taken.
It’s where our conscious thoughts reside, shaping our perception of the world and, ultimately the quality of our lives.
“Our world is what we pay attention to.”
What we consume determines how we understand ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the world.
Attention is finite, yet is extracted and manipulated at scale by powerful corporations.
Attention capitalism has evolved into a sophisticated machine designed to exploit our focus; The buzz and zap of our phones, push notifications, red badges and infinite scrolling are systems that pull us away from intentional living, replacing meaningful experiences with fleeting diversions.
While attention is taken by external forces, there is also an internal part of us that wants it to be taken. As soon we gain control over our time, once we get old enough, we fill it with distractions to avoid confronting the silence, or noise, of our own minds.
Pascal, 1670, “All the unhappiness of men arises from one single fact, they cannot stay quietly in their own chamber.”
The content slot machine in our pocket fuels a cycle of craving and diversion, making us restless and uneasy.
There are different ways to release dopamine from our brains. Food, reproduction, social status, information gathering, novelty, entertainment, etc.
Many industries design their products and services to stimulate dopamine release, often leveraging unconscious behaviors, if analyzed, in 2024, social media platforms are worthed $223.11 billion, streaming platforms like Netflix $95.61 billion, dating apps and adults entertainment $9.4 billion, food delivery apps $232.76 billion. Total worth is $560.88 billion.
While many industries exploit dopamine and our attention to drive consumption and unconscious habits, "good" dopamine arises from activities that foster well-being, meaningful activities, fostering genuine human connection, acts of kindness, altruistic activities, and personal growth.
The problem we face isn’t just technological or situational—it’s existential and spiritual.
And this is what SuperHumans seeks to address.