Living in Entropy: System Decay and Psyches Under Late-Stage Capitalism (E2 of 5 in Series)
Navigating System Decay: Understanding Institutional Betrayal and Capitalist Realism
In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the concept of the 'Entropy Age' and its impact on mental health. The discussion covers how the decay of institutions like governments, healthcare, education, and information systems affects people's mental models and trust. Key topics include collective trauma, institutional betrayal, and capitalist realism. The episode explains how layered systems' failures and short-term survival thinking contribute to psychological stress, influencing individuals' perceptions of stability and future possibilities.
00:00 Introduction to the Entropy Age Series
00:51 Understanding Institutional and Economic Decay
02:15 Nested Systems and Digital Worlds
03:42 The Impact of System Decay on Daily Life
07:28 Collective Trauma and Institutional Betrayal
10:36 Capitalist Realism and Its Psychological Effects
12:37 Temporal Discounting and Short-Term Thinking
13:59 Recognizing Patterns and Moving Forward
15:44 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview
Resources:
Navarro, J. & Tudge, J.R.H. (2022) Technologizing Bronfenbrenner: Neo-Ecological Theory. Current Psychology. 21:1-17
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Fisher, M. (2009). Capitalist realism: Is there no alternative? Zero Books.
Ribeiro, W. S., Bauer, A., Andrade, M. C. R., York-Smith, M., Pan, P. M., et al. (2017). Income inequality and mental illness-related morbidity and resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(7), 554–562.
Hirschberger, G. (2018). Collective trauma and the social construction of meaning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1441.
Irvine, A., & Rose, N. (2024). How does precarious employment affect mental health? A scoping review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence from Western economies. Work, Employment and Society, 38(2), 418–441.
Rakesh, D., Shiba, K., Lamont, M., Lund, C., Pickett, K. E., VanderWeele, T. J., & Patel, V. (2025). Economic inequality and mental health: Causality, mechanisms, and interventions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 21, 353–377.
Rakesh, D., et al. (2025). Macroeconomic income inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health. Nature Mental Health. Advance online publication.
Li, M., Leidner, B., Hirschberger, G., & Park, J. (2023). From threat to challenge: Understanding the impact of historical collective trauma on contemporary intergroup conflict. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(1), 190–209.
Patel, V., Burns, J. K., Dhingra, M., Tarver, L., Kohrt, B. A., & Lund, C. (2018). Income inequality and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association and a scoping review of mechanisms. World Psychiatry, 17(1), 76–89.
Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2013). Dangerous safe havens: Institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26(1), 119–124.
Rönnblad, T., Grönholm, E., Jonsson, J., Koranyi, I., Orellana, C., Kreshpaj, B., Chen, L., Stockfelt, L., & Bodin, T. (2019). Precarious employment and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 45(5), 429–443.
Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2014). Institutional betrayal. American Psychologist, 69(6), 575–587.
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In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the concept of the 'Entropy Age' and its impact on mental health. The discussion covers how the decay of institutions like governments, healthcare, education, and information systems affects people's mental models and trust. Key topics include collective trauma, institutional betrayal, and capitalist realism. The episode explains how layered systems' failures and short-term survival thinking contribute to psychological stress, influencing individuals' perceptions of stability and future possibilities.
00:00 Introduction to the Entropy Age Series
00:51 Understanding Institutional and Economic Decay
02:15 Nested Systems and Digital Worlds
03:42 The Impact of System Decay on Daily Life
07:28 Collective Trauma and Institutional Betrayal
10:36 Capitalist Realism and Its Psychological Effects
12:37 Temporal Discounting and Short-Term Thinking
13:59 Recognizing Patterns and Moving Forward
15:44 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview
Resources:
Navarro, J. & Tudge, J.R.H. (2022) Technologizing Bronfenbrenner: Neo-Ecological Theory. Current Psychology. 21:1-17
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
Fisher, M. (2009). Capitalist realism: Is there no alternative? Zero Books.
Ribeiro, W. S., Bauer, A., Andrade, M. C. R., York-Smith, M., Pan, P. M., et al. (2017). Income inequality and mental illness-related morbidity and resilience: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(7), 554–562.
Hirschberger, G. (2018). Collective trauma and the social construction of meaning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1441.
Irvine, A., & Rose, N. (2024). How does precarious employment affect mental health? A scoping review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence from Western economies. Work, Employment and Society, 38(2), 418–441.
Rakesh, D., Shiba, K., Lamont, M., Lund, C., Pickett, K. E., VanderWeele, T. J., & Patel, V. (2025). Economic inequality and mental health: Causality, mechanisms, and interventions. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 21, 353–377.
Rakesh, D., et al. (2025). Macroeconomic income inequality, brain structure and function, and mental health. Nature Mental Health. Advance online publication.
Li, M., Leidner, B., Hirschberger, G., & Park, J. (2023). From threat to challenge: Understanding the impact of historical collective trauma on contemporary intergroup conflict. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 18(1), 190–209.
Patel, V., Burns, J. K., Dhingra, M., Tarver, L., Kohrt, B. A., & Lund, C. (2018). Income inequality and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association and a scoping review of mechanisms. World Psychiatry, 17(1), 76–89.
Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2013). Dangerous safe havens: Institutional betrayal exacerbates sexual trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 26(1), 119–124.
Rönnblad, T., Grönholm, E., Jonsson, J., Koranyi, I., Orellana, C., Kreshpaj, B., Chen, L., Stockfelt, L., & Bodin, T. (2019). Precarious employment and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 45(5), 429–443.
Smith, C. P., & Freyd, J. J. (2014). Institutional betrayal. American Psychologist, 69(6), 575–587.
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