As we celebrate the Fourth of July, many of us reflect on the birth of the United States and the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence.

When we think of stress, we often imagine looming deadlines, impossible workloads, and micromanaging bosses. But long before cubicles and corner offices, our evolutionary cousins were already living out a drama of hierarchy and stress, and the consequences were deadly.

"Technofeudalism" is characterized by the dominance of powerful technology companies, which function as "digital lords" controlling vast digital territories and data.