Is Human Agency in Crisis?

Humankind is confronted with multiple, interrelated environmental and societal challenges. To do something about them, I believe we need to nourish our capability to act intentionally and purposefully within complex and often hindering environments. However, highlighting this need, in this essay, I reflect on current issues that are likely to systematically diminish human agency in novel ways: the technological escalation of the attention economy; problems stemming from social media and the accessibility of the digital space; the ever-present pull of new sources of addictions; the emergence of AI; and processes of individualization and the related loneliness pandemic. I conclude with a reflection on our personal responsibility and the role of research.