Universe 25 & the Digital Overcrowding of Modern Leadership

Universe 25 & the Digital Overcrowding of Modern Leadership
Written by: Dale Walls

There was once a utopia built for rats. 

In the 1960s, behavioral researcher John B. Calhoun created a perfectly controlled environment known as Universe 25. It was a paradise: unlimited food and water, no predators, and comfortable shelter for up to 3,000 mice. At first, the population thrived. But as time went on—and as the environment became more crowded, overstimulated, and detached from survival-driven purpose—things began to break down.

Social structures collapsed. Reproduction ceased. Fights and apathy became the norm. Eventually, even though food and safety were still plentiful, the population spiraled into total societal failure and died out. Calhoun coined the term “behavioral sink” to describe what happens when abundance meets purposelessness.

I had never heard of this experiment until recently. And when I did—it hit me.

We're living our own version of Universe 25. But it’s not physical overcrowding that’s breaking us down. It’s digital overcrowding.

A Society Overstimulated

Social media, constant connectivity, instant gratification—we've created a world of endless dopamine hits. Notifications. Likes. Opinions. Comparison. Outrage. All of it, everywhere, all the time.

And I’m not pointing fingers. I’ve seen it in myself. I’ve caught myself compulsively reaching for my phone, feeling the subtle anxiety of proximity—needing to check something, scroll something, reply to something. But in the moments I lock the phone away—when I "brick it" or simply get it out of arm’s reach—something happens. My focus sharpens. My thinking deepens. My productivity returns.

In a world of digital abundance, discipline is a superpower.

The Leadership Crisis: Digital Apathy

Leaders I speak with often voice the same concern:

“Some of my people just seem... checked out. No drive. No hunger.”

And why would they? We’re saturated. Overstimulated. We’ve replaced hard-earned achievement with easy-to-consume content. Deep work with digital noise. Purpose with performance. And like the mice in Universe 25, we’re seeing the social cost: apathy, detachment, and decay.

We were never meant to exist in a state of constant stimulation without meaningful struggle. And it’s killing the very drive that leadership requires to thrive.

What Leaders Must Do

Leadership today isn’t just about managing people—it’s about modeling what it means to be grounded in a distracted, disconnected culture.

Here’s how we lead ourselves first:

• Reclaim your digital sovereignty – Set intentional boundaries with technology. Use tools like lockboxes, scheduled screen breaks, or even full-day detoxes.
• Structure deep work – Protect blocks of time where you can focus without interruption or dopamine hijacking.
• Pursue real challenge – Set personal and professional goals that require effort, discipline, and discomfort.
• Connect in person – Digital relationships aren’t a substitute for face-to-face conversations and real community.

And here’s how we lead others:

• Create distraction-free environments – Set norms around focus time, phone etiquette, and mental clarity in the workplace.
• Champion purpose over activity – Recognize contribution, not just hustle. Reinforce clarity of mission.
• Encourage healthy boundaries – Promote time off screens, off work, and on real life.
• Ask better questions – Go beyond metrics and check-ins. Ask: “How are you really doing?” or “What’s pulling your focus away right now?”

Closing the Sink

We don’t have to follow the path of Universe 25.

We may be surrounded by abundance—but that doesn’t mean we have to drown in it. As leaders, we have a responsibility to fight the digital current—to model focus, foster clarity, and build cultures rooted in connection, discipline, and purpose.