Tristan Harris is a former Google design ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology. He has been a prominent voice in advocating for the ethical design of technology and its impact on human behavior. Here are some quotes from Tristan Harris, related to smartphone use and its effects:
- "Never before in history have a handful of technology designers, working at three tech companies, influenced how a billion people spend their attention. We need to be honest about the effects of what we're doing."
- "We're training and conditioning a whole new generation of people that when we are uncomfortable or lonely or uncertain or afraid, we have a digital pacifier for ourselves. That is kind of atrophying our own ability to deal with that."
- "We're not just consuming media, we're consuming minds. These are persuasive technologies. They're not neutral. They're using all the same techniques that a casino would use, in terms of positive reinforcement, that a slot machine would use."
- "I think we need to ask ourselves: what kind of world do we want to live in? And how do we want to spend our time? And with what kinds of relationships?"
- "We've moved away from a world of people using technology to a world of technology using people."
- "We need to be building a world that gets people to spend more time with each other, face to face, without technology involved."
- "Our society is changing and technology is driving that change. And if technology is changing us, it is our moral obligation to change technology."
Tristan Harris emphasizes the need for technology to be designed ethically, with human well-being in mind. He raises concerns about the addictive and attention-hijacking nature of smartphone apps and the potential negative effects they can have on our lives. Harris advocates for a more conscious and responsible approach to technology, one that considers the long-term impact on individuals and society as a whole.
At Down Down Tech we believe these insights from Tristan pose an important, more meaningful question worth considering:
How might smartphone use effect the building blocks of what it means to be human from early age, like:
- being patient
- sitting still for over 5 minutes with nothing but your thoughts
- conversing face to face and building dialogue, owning your words
- having an attention span of longer than 30 seconds
- staying present and engaged in the moment
- creativity and imagination
There are alternatives to smartphones that enable our kids to stay connected with friends and family, yet at the same time engage with the world around them and not a device..