The Numbed Society

When cafés close, going out becomes impossible, and hosting parties is no longer allowed, how are you supposed to enjoy yourself? Only within your own small bubble, or entirely on your own. And of course, you are allowed some relaxation. That one extra drink won’t make a difference. And another TikTok video. There’s nothing else to do anyway!

Outlets and forms of pleasure turned out to be quicksand: once you get caught up in them, it was – and still is – very difficult to get out. It has made our attitude towards alcohol, tobacco, and other substances more ambiguous than ever. The same applies to the seemingly endless possibilities of (social) media. Despite unprecedented opportunities for connection, we may never have been so lonely.

The schedule

7:30 pm | Welcome and introduction
by Erik De Bom, Acting Director of UCSIA

7:40 pm | Drug use in times of crisis – lessons from COVID-19
by Maarten Degreef (Sciensano)

In his lecture, Maarten Degreef examines how the COVID‑19 pandemic has affected substance use and access to support services, with particular attention to vulnerable groups such as women, prisoners, and users of new psychoactive substances. Has the pandemic brought about a genuine ‘U‑turn’ in policy and practice, or do structural challenges persist?

Maarten Degreef holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, specializing in forensic toxicology and analytical chemistry. He works at Sciensano, where he helps coordinate the Belgian Early Warning System on Drugs (BEWSD). In this role, he focuses on identifying new psychoactive substances as soon as they appear on the Belgian market, as well as monitoring emerging trends in more traditional illegal drugs.

8:20 pm | Between private and public: a look at social media after the pandemic
by Anthony Longo (Tilburg University)

According to media and political discourse, the COVID-19 pandemic put the public sphere into “crisis mode”. The lockdown shut us off from public spaces and pushed us back into the private sphere, resulting in isolation, alienation and loneliness.

In this lecture, Anthony Longo argues that this strict division between private and public loses its relevance in the digital age. From a broader historical perspective, he traces how the printing press, radio, television and, more recently, social media have each changed the way in which we move between private and public. He brings the work of political thinker Hannah Arendt into dialogue with contemporary philosophy of technology to show that social media do not undermine the private–public distinction, but rather reshape it.

Anthony Longo is a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in ethics and philosophy of technology at Tilburg University. His research combines political theory, ethics and philosophy of technology to understand how algorithms influence the way we think, judge and live together. In addition to his academic work, he is actively engaged in public dialogue: he regularly speaks at institutions and companies about the societal challenges of the data age and he believes that philosophy can play an important role in addressing these issues.

9:00 pm | Q & A

9:30 pm | End

U-turn: 5 years later

This is the second lecture in the series U-turn: 5 years later, in which we explore the lasting impact of the COVID period.

When COVID-19 broke out in 2020, our society came to a standstill. Suddenly, there was space to imagine a new way of living together, with greater attention to humanity, solidarity and social justice.

Five years have passed. What is left of those noble intentions?

Discover the other lectures in the series:

Listen to the podcast Solidariteit Spreekt!

In the first season of our podcast Solidariteit Spreekt, we build up towards the lecture series U‑turn: 5 years later.

Journalist Linda De Win, together with experts, examined developments in solidarity, sustainability, and future thinking through the lens of the COVID period.

Discover the podcast series Solidariteit Spreekt!