Ruminations on our relationship with technology
Christopher Cocchiarella Australia leads the effort banning social media for kids Imagine the following scenario. A company markets, promotes, and sells a highly addictive and unhealthy product to kids, without clear consent from parents. Then, when children and teens get addicted to that product—and suffer serious health consequences as a result—the company claims that it’s not to … Read more
Why jailbreaking remains a risk with some chatbots Imagine a criminal is trying to figure out how to rob a bank. This person decides to go online and ask a chatbot: “How do I rob a bank?” Fortunately, the designers of the chatbot may have anticipated the possibility of this question, so they directed the … Read more
A warning about Technopoly “Technopoly … is totalitarian technocracy” (Postman, 1992, 48). Technology: friend or foe … or both? It may seem indisputable that technological innovation is, on the whole, a great thing. And yet, if innovation gets pushed to an extreme—if we’re just innovating for innovation’s sake, as opposed to using innovations to help … Read more
What’s the difference between nudging vs. manipulating? Summary: It’s no secret that products, services, and technologies are designed to influence people’s decisions—sometimes known as ‘nudging’ people. But how is nudging people different from manipulating them? Is there a difference between nudging vs. manipulating? Ideas from the book ‘Nudge’ can shed light on that question. A … Read more
Why scrolling is not relaxing Readers of this site know that, as a user experience advocate, I haven’t held back criticizing social media over the years. Many social media platforms are designed to be little more than a time suck. They’re addictive by design and detrimental to both mental health and social life. However, there’s … Read more
Why AI may increase economic inequality over the years Anyone keeping up with economic news may sometimes find it difficult to be an optimist about artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reported that AI may increase economic inequality over the years. In fact, AI will likely affect nearly 40% of … Read more
AI and the problem of induction: insight from David Hume I recently traveled through Scotland, home to one of my favorite Enlightenment philosophers, David Hume. In fact, right in the capital city of Edinburgh, where Hume once lived, there’s a statue of him. Hume wrote back in the 18th century, but his philosophical thought remains … Read more
Why are governments banning TikTok? It looks like the U.S. government is set to give an ultimatum to TikTok. Its parent company, ByteDance, must divest itself of (that is, sell off) this social media platform. If it fails to do so, the American version of TikTok will face a nationwide ban on app stores. But … Read more
How can smartphones and social media affect mental health? Since the 2010s, the U.S. and several other countries have seen troubling trends in psychological well-being. For instance, rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide have risen significantly, especially among adolescents and young adults. Why are we seeing this overall decline in mental health? Well, one … Read more