Doha Debates Examines How Entertainment Shapes Us Today
Qatar Foundation’s Doha Debates continues its flagship debate series with a new episode that examines how modern entertainment shapes our attention, creativity, and everyday well-being. Moderated by Dareen Abughaida, the debate brings together three influential thinkers to ask whether today’s entertainment landscape is enriching us—or overwhelming us.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251203737439/en/
Doha Debates examines how entertainment shapes us today in a new episode, leading thinkers and students debate whether today’s entertainment elevates us or pulls us into distraction. (Photo: AETOSWire)
This week’s debate features Marya Bangee, Senior Advisor at the Pop Culture Collaborative; Dr. Anna Lembke, Professor of Psychiatry at Stanford University and author of Dopamine Nation; and Nicholas Carr, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Shallows.
For Bangee, the power of entertainment lies in storytelling that reflects lived human experience and fosters empathy. “I think entertainment today is pervasive. It’s something that shapes each person and society. The question is how are we going to make sure we are shaping it back.”
Lembke brings a clinical and human-centered lens to the discussion, warning that the design of modern entertainment often overwhelms our brain’s reward pathways. “Modern entertainment is not better for us because it hijacks our brain reward pathway. Now we need more pleasure to feel any pleasure at all.”
Carr widens the frame further, examining how technology-driven entertainment affects our ability to think deeply and act collectively. “We’ve assumed that having more topics, choices and information is always a good thing. Going forward we really need to pay much attention to the drawbacks.”
Students add their own reflections. Sara Akbar, 22, from the University of Doha for Science and Technology, shares: “Between 16 to 28, we are all trying to escape reality because of everything happening in the world. And it really affects how we live our lives. Why can’t we live a second without Instagram?” From Georgetown University in Qatar, Ameer Saadi, 18, adds: “With entertainment, the responsibility here is not to make you a better person but to genuinely try to express some form of the human experience.”
Together, their voices deepen a debate that goes beyond preference or taste, reflecting Doha Debates’ commitment to truth-seeking, open inquiry, and conversations that bridge perspectives rather than divide them.
The episode is now available on the Doha Debates website and YouTube channel. Viewers can also explore previous episodes on childhood in the age of social media and on the meaning of love today.
DohaDebates
Website: DohaDebates.com
X/Twitter: @DohaDebates
Instagram:@DohaDebates
Facebook:Facebook.com/DohaDebates
YouTube: YouTube.com/DohaDebates
Threads: Threads.net/@dohadebates
TikTok:@DohaDebates
About Doha Debates
Doha Debates engages a vanguard of intellectually curious truth-seekers to constructively debate differences in order to build a better future. We emphasize unity over division, encouraging conversations that bring us together rather than drive us apart.
Learn more at DohaDebates.com
*Source: AETOSWire
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251203737439/en/
Contacts
Doha Debates media contact
Sumi Alkebsi
Director of Communications and Marketing
Email: salkebsi@dohadebates.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
www.businesswire.com
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Vycellix Prepares for First-in-Human Study of Novel Allogeneic Cell Therapy Powered by Its Universal Cell Engineering Platform3.12.2025 19:00:00 EET | Press release
Vycellix, Inc., a biotechnology company developing next-generation allogeneic cell therapies designed to overcome the risk of immune rejection, today announced the successful completion of pre-clinical development for its universal cell engineering platform (VY-UC) with rigorous studies across many donor cell types proving robust immune evasion with functional persistence. The Company is now preparing for first-in-human clinical validation by seeking regulatory approval in Sweden to initiate a Phase 1 study for its lead VY-UC product candidate, a novel, off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapy (VNK-101) for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. VY-UC is a single-step CD45 engager strategy intended to address a central barrier to donor-derived cell therapies, the host immune system’s rapid elimination of allogeneic cells. In pre-clinical studies, VY-UC expression enabled engineered donor cells to evade host cellular immune attack while retaining function, supporti
Pattern Announces Acquisition of ROI Hunter, Connecting Product-Level Advertising and Marketplace Performance for Global Brands3.12.2025 18:01:00 EET | Press release
Pattern Group Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRN), a leader in accelerating brands on global ecommerce marketplaces by leveraging proprietary technology and AI, today announced that it has acquired ROI Hunter a.s., a performance-driven retail media platform for brands and retailers. ROI Hunter integrates product, marketing, and merchandising data into a single source of truth, enabling margin-informed, SKU-level advertising decisions across major walled-garden platforms including Google, Meta, and Snap. The acquisition strengthens Pattern’s position as the world’s leading ecommerce accelerator and expands the company’s AI-driven advertising capabilities across Meta, Google and Snapchat. ROI Hunter brings a defensible, SKU-level data moat anchored in API integrations and more than $1.8B in media managed annually, enabling a uniquely granular view of product-level performance. “We are thrilled to welcome the ROI Hunter team to Pattern,” said Dave Wright, Co-founder and CEO of Pattern. “Their deep techni
DevvStream and Southern Energy Renewables Announce Business Combination Targeting Low-Cost Production of Carbon-Negative SAF and Green Methanol3.12.2025 16:40:00 EET | Press release
DevvStream Corp. (Nasdaq: DEVS) (“DevvStream”), a leading carbon management and environmental-asset monetization firm, and Southern Energy Renewables Inc. (“Southern”), a U.S.-based producer of low-cost fuels made from biomass, with a flagship Louisiana project that plans to utilize regional wood-waste biomass to deliver green methanol and carbon-negative sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”) at scale, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine under a new U.S.-domiciled, Nasdaq-listed company, following customary closing conditions. The new company plans to help aviation and maritime operators meet tightening global mandates from regulations such as ReFuelEU and organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) by creating a U.S.–built, integrated clean‑fuels platform anchored in Louisiana, using domestic feedstock and workforce to produce carbon‑negative SAF and green methanol at commercial scale. Operationally, the combined company
Andersen Consulting Expands Digital Transformation Capabilities3.12.2025 16:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Consulting enters into a Collaboration Agreement with Neit Consulting, a firm focused on streamlining operations, integrating smart technologies, and accelerating digital maturity for clients. Neit Consulting is a business consulting firm based in the Czech Republic with more than 20 years of experience delivering ISO-certified IT and business advisory services across data analytics, performance management, and process optimization. With more than 200 consultants, the firm supports clients—including global banks, insurers, manufacturing companies, and public entities—through business consulting, IT systems implementation, and long-term systems support. Neit Consulting serves clients globally with a focus on aligning digital capabilities to complex operational needs. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in the scope of services provided to our clients,” said Tomáš Niederle, sales director of Neit Consulting. “Andersen’s global reach and multidisciplinary ap
GCL Evolves Into The Rock-It Company, Uniting Leading Logistics Platform of Live Events and Luxury Goods Services Under a New Banner3.12.2025 16:00:00 EET | Press release
Global Critical Logistics (GCL) announced today its brand evolution into the newly unveiled identity of The Rock-It Company, uniting its diverse portfolio under the iconic and globally recognized name. The announcement arrives as Rock-It delivers some of the world’s most impactful cultural moments this week including the Final Draw of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Washington D.C., Art Basel in Miami, The Conference at Rock Lititz and several concerts and automotive events in Abu Dhabi, including the RM Sotheby’s Auction. These marquee events all coincide with a extensive slate of global tours, film productions, broadcast operations, and experiential projects that span multiple continents. Together, these iconic moments contribute to the more than 10,000 mission-critical projects that Rock-It enables each year through its global network of logistics expertise. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251203771649/en/ For
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom