I was fascinated to come cross this article on the Slate website:
How Gen Z Is Rewriting the Rules of Sobriety
The headline seems to suggest a revolutionary revision on the road to recovery, but instead, it turns out to be a continuation of the longstanding debate about the purpose and value of personal anonymity, a principle that underlies 12 Step philosophy.
The author makes the point that technology, mostly in the form of social media and “influencer culture” on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, has brought about a sea change to which AA and its sister fellowships have yet to adapt.
”Gen Z,” she argues, “is proving that more flexible approaches to the Program — with all of its archaic and dusty trappings” —her words — “are entirely possible in a digitally enmeshed attention economy.”
By archaic and dusty, I suppose she means the tradition of maintaining anonymity at the level of press, radio, and television.
“What constitutes personal anonymity in a world where the line between personal and public is vanishing?” she asks. By the way, she reveals that she herself was once active in AA, but no longer considers herself a member of the fellowship.
She raises an interesting question. We’ll let Bill W. himself explain the origins of the anonymity principle.
In Bill’s view, it begins with the alcoholic, who, in order to recover, must “…gain enough humility and self-respect to stay alive at all…”.
And that humility comes through a conscious decision to “…give up what had really been our dearest possession – our ambitions and our illegitimate pride.”
But at some point, Bill W. and the others realized that anonymity was essential not only to the individual but to the survival of their fellowship. “The group … found that it had to give up many of its own rights for the protection and welfare of each member, and for A.A. as a whole. These sacrifices had to be made or A.A. couldn’t continue to exist.”
“This is why we see anonymity at the general public level as our chief protection,” he concludes, “… against ourselves.” In other words, from the all-too-human ambitions, false pride, and hunger for attention of its own members.
Put like that, personal anonymity makes a heck of a lot of sense. After all, isn’t TikTok and influencer culture afflicted with far too much “ambition and illegitimate pride” for its own good?
But once again, the choice ultimately belongs to the individual. Like the author, each A.A. member is free to leave at any time.
And if later on, someone decides they’ve made the wrong decision, AA will still be there.
