Hivemind: Thinking Alike in a Divided World

Psychologist Cavanagh (The Spark of Learning) sheds a positive light on the human hive mind—which she loosely defines as collective human consciousness—in this thought-provoking, if sometimes strained, study. She weighs the deep-rooted human fear of losing one’s individuality against recent research suggesting humans exercise little control to start with over their emotions, attitudes, and decisions. Cavanagh’s thoroughly contemporary take on the hive mind is inexorably connected to online platforms, but she also takes care to consider the real-world consequences of collective thinking, traveling to Charlottesville, Va., soon after the clash between white nationalists and antifascists in 2017 to interview a psychologist about the importance of group identity for humans. While acknowledging that online interactions have sparked conflicts, Cavanagh argues that such platforms are also “drawing us closer together, introducing new ways of connecting, and extending our cognitive horizons.” As hard as she tries to prove her point, she does a better job illustrating the negative side effects of social media and other forms of online communication, such as post-traumatic stress disorder associated with viewing traumatic video posts. Despite sometimes being less than convincing, this well-documented and wide-reaching account of individuality and interconnectedness should engage anyone interested in the intersection between psychology, neuroscience, and recent trends in social media and technology. Agent: Jessica Papin, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Sept.)