When Technology Tries to Make Us 'Happy'
A Warning from Fiction
The scariest dystopias aren't the ones with robots hunting humans through demolished cities. They're the ones that feel like they could be tomorrow's headlines.
Jude Berman's "The Die" presents us with exactly this kind of near-future nightmare: an app called "Happy" that's designed to manipulate people's brains into supporting an authoritarian regime. Sound familiar? It should.
Every day, we scroll through feeds carefully engineered to keep us engaged, algorithms that learn our preferences better than we know them ourselves, and content that subtly shapes our worldview. We're living in the beta version of Berman's fictional nightmare.
The Seduction of Digital Happiness
The genius of the novel's "Happy" app isn't that it forces people to comply—it's that it makes them want to. Through a combination of subliminal messaging and smart light technology, it creates a Pavlovian association between authoritarian control and feeling good.
Ring any bells?
Think about how many times you've reached for your phone when feeling down. How many dopamine hits you've gotten from likes, shares, and notifications. We're already being conditioned to associate digital engagement with emotional satisfaction.
The Rebellion We Need
But here's where Berman's novel offers hope: technology, no matter how sophisticated, can't completely suppress human consciousness. In fact, the very tool designed for control becomes a catalyst for resistance.
The novel's protagonists—a group of tech employees turned digital rebels—discover that embedding a mysterious "universal sound" into the app actually awakens people's resistance to manipulation. It's a powerful metaphor for how the same platforms used to spread misinformation can become vehicles for truth and mobilization.
The Power of Going Offline
Perhaps the most radical act in the novel isn't the hacking or the protests—it's when the characters choose to disconnect. They retreat to a remote farmhouse, cutting themselves off from the digital world that's trying to control them.
In our own world, where "digital detox" has become a luxury product, this hits different. It reminds us that sometimes the most revolutionary act is simply stepping away from the screen.
The Real Resistance Is Human
What makes "The Die" particularly relevant isn't its technology—it's its humanity. The characters aren't superhackers or trained revolutionaries. They're ordinary people who choose to stand up against something they know is wrong.
They struggle. They doubt. They carry personal trauma and fear. But they also form deep connections, support each other, and ultimately find strength in their shared purpose.
Sound familiar again? It should.
Because this is exactly what we're seeing in our own world: people coming together, both online and offline, to resist manipulation and fight for truth. From digital privacy advocates to social media whistleblowers, from protest organizers to independent journalists—ordinary people are choosing to stand up.
The Choice Is Ours
Here's the thing about dystopian fiction: it's not just a warning about where we might be headed. It's a reminder that we still have a choice.
Every time we question an algorithm's recommendations, fact-check a viral post, or choose real human connection over digital dopamine hits, we're making that choice. Every time we support independent voices over corporate narratives, protect our digital privacy, or simply step away from our screens to engage with the real world, we're choosing resistance.
The battle for our attention—and through it, our minds—is already here. The question isn't whether technology will try to control us. The question is: what are we going to do about it?
As "The Die" reminds us, sometimes the most powerful resistance starts with simply saying "no" to digital happiness and yes to human connection, authentic joy, and the messy, beautiful reality of being truly free.
Because in the end, no app can make us truly happy. That's something we have to choose for ourselves.
Reference:
“The Die" A Novel by Jude Berman
Podcast:
Heliox: Where Evidence Meets Empathy
Podcast Episode: This is an extended conversation that goes far beyond this article
When Technology Tries to Make Us 'Happy': A Warning from Fiction ( S2 E58 )
