The Problem is the Solution

In Permaculture people say “the problem is the solution” meaning that if we look at the causes of the problem, we can often find alternatives that lead to a solution.  

Below are problems created by mindless (or profit-centered) design of digital technology. To address the harmful effects of these issues through permaculture principles, we can align specific principles to each issue, finding ways to benefit ecology (earth care), humans (people care), and communities (fair share) . Here are some suggestion:

Harms Physical Health

   – Permaculture Principle: Obtain a Yield: Encourage engagement in physical activities like gardening, which promotes physical health while producing food. This replaces sedentary digital time with more active, health-benefiting tasks.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use and Value Diversity: Introduce diverse, non-digital activities that promote different types of physical exercise and movement, contributing to overall physical health.

Harms Mental Health

   – Permaculture Principle: Observe and Interact: Foster mindfulness and engagement with natural surroundings, reducing screen time and promoting mental well-being through nature connection.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use Small and Slow Solutions: Encourage gradual digital detox practices and introduce small, manageable lifestyle changes that promote mental health, such as mindfulness practices and time in nature.

Impairs Social Relationships

   – Permaculture Principle: Integrate Rather than Segregate: Create community spaces and initiatives that encourage face-to-face interactions and shared activities, strengthening social bonds that digital technology may weaken.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use and Value Diversity: Promote diverse social activities that bring people together across different backgrounds, countering the isolation that can come from excessive digital use.

Lacks DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Inclusivity

   – Permaculture Principle: Use and Value Diversity: Foster inclusive community practices that celebrate diverse voices and perspectives, both in real life and in digital spaces, ensuring all community members feel valued and included.

   – Permaculture Principle: Integrate Rather than Segregate: Build inclusive systems and networks that ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for all members of the community.

Harms Family Relations

   – Permaculture Principle: Design from Patterns to Details: Encourage family patterns that prioritize shared, screen-free activities, promoting deeper family connections and reducing the impact of digital distractions.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use Small and Slow Solutions: Introduce family routines and practices that gradually reduce digital dependency, fostering closer relationships over time.

Harms Younger Children

   – Permaculture Principle: Observe and Interact: Engage children in outdoor activities that stimulate creativity and interaction with the natural environment, reducing screen time and promoting healthy development.

   – Permaculture Principle: Catch and Store Energy: Design educational programs and play spaces that harness natural curiosity and energy in children, promoting outdoor play and learning over digital engagement.

Threats from AI (Artificial Intelligence)

   – Permaculture Principle: Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback: Advocate for ethical AI use and development practices that self-regulate to prevent harm and consider community feedback in decision-making processes.

   – Permaculture Principle: Creatively Use and Respond to Change: Adapt and innovate community practices to counteract the potential threats from AI, finding ways to integrate beneficial technologies while minimizing risks.

Polarization and Fake News

   – Permaculture Principle: Use Edges and Value the Marginal: Promote dialogues in community spaces that bridge gaps between different groups, reducing polarization and fostering understanding.

   – Permaculture Principle: Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback: Encourage media literacy and critical thinking within communities to discern fake news and reduce susceptibility to misinformation.

Deep Fakes

   – Permaculture Principle: Creatively Use and Respond to Change: Develop community awareness programs that educate on the dangers of deep fakes and promote technological literacy to identify and counteract misinformation.

   – Permaculture Principle: Observe and Interact: Foster awareness by encouraging communities to engage critically with digital content, understanding its sources and contexts.

Surveillance and Privacy Infringements

   – Permaculture Principle: Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback: Advocate for community-driven policies and practices that safeguard privacy and regulate surveillance, ensuring digital safety and autonomy.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use Small and Slow Solutions: Implement gradual changes to reduce reliance on technologies that infringe on privacy, favoring more secure and community-oriented solutions.

E-waste

   – Permaculture Principle: Produce No Waste: Promote recycling, repurposing, and proper disposal of electronic devices, reducing e-waste and encouraging sustainable practices within the community.

   – Permaculture Principle: Catch and Store Energy: Develop systems for reclaiming valuable materials from e-waste, turning waste into a resource and minimizing environmental harm.

Rare Metals Depletion & Extraction

   – Permaculture Principle: Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services: Encourage the use of technologies and devices that rely on renewable materials, reducing dependence on rare metals and promoting sustainable practices.

   – Permaculture Principle: Produce No Waste: Advocate for recycling programs that recover rare metals from old devices, reducing the need for new extraction and conserving resources.

Increasing Use of Energy for Computing

   – Permaculture Principle: Catch and Store Energy: Develop energy-efficient digital infrastructures and promote the use of renewable energy sources to power digital technologies, minimizing ecological impact.

   – Permaculture Principle: Use Small and Slow Solutions: Encourage incremental energy-saving practices and the adoption of less energy-intensive technologies within communities.

Creates Financial Inequality and Digital Divide

   – Permaculture Principle: Integrate Rather than Segregate: Create inclusive digital education and training programs that bridge the digital divide and provide equal opportunities for all community members.

   – Permaculture Principle: Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback: Develop community-driven initiatives that address financial inequalities caused by digital technologies, promoting fairness and equitable access.

By applying these permaculture principles, communities can mitigate the negative impacts of digital technology, fostering healthier, more inclusive, and sustainable environments that benefit both people and the planet.

Notice that often, the reverse is also true:  “the solution is the problem” when quick fixes or high tech or profit-making schemes use the problem to advance their goals rather than addressing the real needs of people, community, planet. For economic harmful design see Naomi Klein’s Disaster Capitalism (video)