BigSur Partners Event Series: Jonathan Haidt “Working together in an age of anxiety, activism, polarization, and social media”

Photography by Richard Alvarez on May 26th, 2022 in Lifestyle

Miami, FL – may 26, 2022 – Working together in an age of anxiety, activism, polarization, and social media, was the title for this year’s BigSur Partners Event Series, where NYU Stern Professor Jonathan Haidt took the stage as guest speaker. BigSur Partners – a global investment and wealth management company headquartered in South Florida with more than $1B in assets under management and a provider of investment advising services throughout Latin America, the United States and globally – alongside NYU Stern School of Business, welcomed more than 120 business executives, community leaders, clients and NYU alumni to the private conference event at the East Miami Hotel in Brickell Avenue, Miami Florida.

Something big changed in the 2010s. America is now more politically polarized, angry, and fearful. Our children are more depressed and anxious. Many of our institutions, companies, and organizations are becoming less functional because of internal conflicts. Globally renowned author and prominent social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, spoke on some of his research’s findings and macro trends — particularly changes to social media platforms that were implemented between 2009 and 2012 – which have changed the basic fabric of society in ways that make it more difficult for people to work together, sort of like a modern day Babel.

“We are disoriented, unable to speak the same language or recognize the same truth. We are cut off from one another and from the past”. It has been clear for quite a while now that red America and blue America are becoming like two different countries claiming the same territory, with two different versions of the Constitution, economics, and American history. However, Babel is not a story about tribalism; it is a story about the fragmentation of everything. It is a metaphor for what is happening not only between red and blue, but also within the left and within the right, as well as within universities, companies, professional associations, museums, and even families.

“We need more people like Professor Haidt in the world, who brings a thoroughly-researched and balanced point of view to solving modern day problems that are affecting each and every one of us so profoundly! Through our ongoing Event Series, BigSur Partners is committed to presenting industry recognized experts and academics across different sectors and industries that offer our clients unique insight, compelling propositions and investment ideas,” said Ignacio Pakciarz, economist, founder and CEO of BigSur Partners.