The "Digital Year"

“Humanism is not a system; it is a permanent re-foundation”. And do not these words by French philosopher and novelist Julia Kristeva hit quite close to home after the trying year we went through? This year has challenged most our notions regarding most everything: from the way we work to the way we shop and meet our loved ones.

Today, beyond shopping and virtual workspaces, I would like to write to you about solidarity and empathy in the digital age. Pre2020, we were not without knowing that postmodern civilization would generate more anxiety and loneliness whilst enabling innovation and opening all sorts of possibilities. And the Covid-19 pandemic has crystallized this fact in a handful of months. We met on Zoom, sent heart emojis and pictures, followed courses, and attended events online. We went even more digital in the blink of an eye. But this drastic shift has also generated many left-outs. This year, we have dived into the digital world and things will never be the same again. What can we do to avoid entire segments of the world population being crushed by the steam roller of this way of living which is clearly marked by ruptures and exclusion? How can we still manage to create, sustain, and promote strong, healthy bonds and ensure that the people we love, know, or merely encounter are not left on the side of the road?

An example that instantly comes to mind is that of people from all around the world using the internet to get informed on ways to help the Lebanese population after the Beirut blast. I dare to hope that emotions of care and solidarity will not be numbed so soon by keyboards and screens. There is a world outside our window, and it’s a world we need to engage with both virtually and physically, from the way we help one another to the way we strive for change and work on rethinking our institutions.

Even before this pandemic, the digitalization boom had already spurred a mindset that encouraged individual initiative. As such, middle-class youth suffering from inequitable economic growth has been at the forefront of demands for reform from Latin America to the Far East passing through Paris and Beirut. And although digital has played a major role in bringing people together, what we need is a tangible link, not just a digital one; a concrete project that we rally around and push in the right direction. Attention and empathy allow a link to be forged, and, in turn, a common project to be born, whether personal, professional, or political.