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Plato, the cave, and social media: are we only looking at shadows?

Daniela Farina : 16 September 2025 08:51

The famous Socratic precept “Know thyself“ has never been more relevant. Today, our digital identity is a fragmented mosaic of social profiles, search histories, and online interactions, constantly exposed and vulnerable. The essence of Socrates’ philosophy, grounded in the art of maieutics, offers us a powerful shield against manipulation.

Socrates did not offer answers, but pushed his interlocutors to find them within themselves. This process of self-inquiry, or maieutics, is not a simple dialectical technique, but a true act of self-determination, a product of inner truth. Likewise, to defend ourselves in the digital world, we must learn to ask ourselves uncomfortable questions and probe our deepest motivations.

Two Socratic Questions for Our Digital Mind

  • Why do I act on instinct? This question invites us to pause before clicking, sharing, or responding impulsively. Recognizing the emotion—urgency, anger, curiosity—triggered by a notification, an attack, or sensational news allows us to avoid being slaves to it. Impulse is not our essence; It’s just a reaction we can choose not to indulge in.
  • Who benefits from my action? Like a philosopher who looks beyond appearances, this question pushes us to look behind the scenes. By asking who benefits from our online behavior, we unmask the hidden mechanisms of algorithms, fake news, and disinformation campaigns. This perspective transforms our navigation from passive to conscious, making us actors, not mere pawns, of our digital destiny.

Plato and the Allegory of the Cave

Plato, a disciple of Socrates, described in one of his most famous dialogues the human condition of those who mistake shadows for reality. The prisoners, chained, see only the shadows projected on the wall and believe them to be the absolute truth. Today, we live in a similar condition. The world mediated by screens, algorithms, and artificial intelligence projects a distorted and filtered reality onto our digital cave.

Fake news, confirmation bias, and the filter bubbles created by social media are the new shadows that trap us. They show us only what we expect to see, reinforcing our beliefs and distancing us from the complexity of reality. Our task, like that of the prisoner who is freed, is to leave the cave and face the light of truth. It’s not about escaping, but about evolving, about seeking the fullness of knowledge and reality.

Practical Philosophy Exercises

Philosophy is not just theory, but a discipline to be practiced every day. These are just a few examples of exercises inspired by ancient wisdom to strengthen our minds in the digital world.

  • The digital examination of conscience. Take five minutes a day to reflect on your latest online interactions. Did you click on a link without thinking? Did you share a piece of news without checking it? Don’t judge yourself; just observe. Just as a philosopher analyzes his thoughts, you analyze your digital actions. It’s the first step toward greater awareness.
  • The digitaldiet. Choose the app you use most and reduce its use for a week. It’s not about deprivation, but about mindfulness. Every time you open it, ask yourself if you’re doing it for a specific reason or just out of habit. This exercise helps you regain control of the time and energy you dedicate to online platforms.
  • Observing Emotions. The next time a notification triggers a strong emotion (anxiety, anger, excitement), don’t act immediately. Close your eyes for ten seconds and observe the emotion you feel. Ask yourself: Why do I feel this way? This small act of detachment will help you separate impulse from action.

Digital Security: Awareness and Freedom

As Socrates taught us, self-knowledge is the foundation of all virtuous action. In an age dominated by algorithms, digital security isn’t just a matter of passwords and antivirus software, but a constant self-examination. Security, from this perspective, becomes a practical application of Stoic ethics: We cannot control what happens to us online, but we can always control how we react.

Digital security becomes an ontological choice: it is an affirmation of our dignity and our commitment not to be passively led, but to guide our path with awareness. It thus becomes a path of enlightenment, an opportunity to practice prudence over haste and responsibility over indifference. It’s not a limit to our freedom, but its greatest tool for expansion.

Starting tomorrow, what’s our next small step to empower our minds in the digital world?

Daniela Farina
Degree in philosophy, psychology, professional counsellor, mental coach, mindfulness enthusiast. Humanist by vocation, works in Cybersecurity by profession. At FiberCop S.p.a as Risk Analyst.

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