I tend to look at my own over-reliance on technology as a failing. A crutch. An addiction.
Our devices, in many ways, make our lives easier. They empower our curiosity, help connect us, and allow us to build new things.
But they also make it more difficult to pay attention, be present, or tolerate boredom. We use our devices to escape all sorts of discomfort, including social awkwardness, instead of powering through.
But as my guest, Jay Vidyarthi, an attention activist, argues—compulsive tech use isn’t necessarily a failure of discipline. In fact, it may point to an underlying need.
Instead of being slaves to technology, Jay believes that we should foster a more intentional relationship with technology and that starts by better understanding why we are reaching for our devices in the first place. What are we missing? Play? Connection? Inspiration?
He argues that technology reflects the values and incentives we build into it—and that we can design technology to support connection, compassion, creativit…
