Social Media and the Collective Unconscious

ABSTRACT Considering the colonization of the human psyche, which has been driven by greed and hunger for power during this period of end-stage capitalism and woven into algorithms that infect the unconscious, I argue that social media will impact the evolution of all cultures across the globe. Certainly, an analysand’s social media use can impact their capacity to develop a symbolic life and the egoic strength necessary for individuation, yet many Jungians have underestimated the influence of this cultural phenomenon on both the individual and collective psyche. I believe Jungians have much to offer, however, due to our understanding of the unconscious and the archetypal realm.