Letter: Depressed? Blame media overload
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: In his examination of current high levels of depression and dissatisfaction ("The blue Nineties", 11 February), Oliver James overlooks the single most glaring social difference between the 1950s and today.
The huge media explosion over the past forty years means that all of us, from infancy onwards, receive a considerable input about the world and other human beings from data already processed by other minds.
Compared with even recent history, when news, anecdote, opinion, advice and wisdom were passed from person to person, face to face, by word of mouth (with books as direct verbal communication from absent individuals), we now live in a virtually real fantasy world - that of the electronic media, advertising, film, and the tabloid press.
It is hardly surprising that against this daily and constant bombardment of images and sounds we should somehow feel that our personal and human status has been reduced.
It is conceivable that on evolutionary principles we may adapt to this comparatively recent change in our environment (after several thousand years of non-media development), but on a conservative estimate it will take about ten thousand years for a fully fledged, and happy, Media Man to evolve.
IAN FLINTOFF
London SW6
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments