Hi all,
I’m Jason. I’ve worked as a UX/UI designer for many years, and a concerned father of 2. Over the years I’ve noticed the increase in the lack of genuine respect of people’s time from companies/products, and the manipulation in order to keep peoples attention.
I’m happy to join, and hopefully learn and contribute.
Hi All,
I’m a second-year PhD student researching technology for grief support. I’m here for two main reasons:
In my quest to stay connected with loved ones over the years, I became a mild-moderate Facebook addict and I’m trying to cut back (it’s been amazing so far). Then I found this community and became interested in how many other people have noticed the addictive properties of modern social media.
After running and publishing our recent study on grieving online vs. offline, I’ve been growing increasingly more concerned at how my participants in online groups seemed to experience a phenomenon they didn’t experience with in-person grief support: They risked getting caught in an infinite loop of sadness and consuming information without achieving meaningful healing. I’m still speculating as to whether a model of a combo of online / offline support could work for grievers, or whether online “support” is more harmful than helpful in the wake of a death.
I’m linking to our study in case anyone is interested in chatting about #2… Hoping to find other researchers here who are in the same boat!
Take care -
Anna
Hi! My name is Elizabeth Marsh.
I’ve worked in the technology industry for 15+ years as a digital workplace practitioner, researcher, writer, and consultant. In 2014 I co-authored ‘The Digital Renaissance of Work: Delivering digital workplaces fit for the future’.
Over a number of years, my interest in technology, psychology and mindfulness have led me to reflect on, study and write about our current human trajectory in relation to the digital tools we use for life and work. I believe that we urgently need to address our relationship to technology both through new approaches to the design of our tools, and also through growing our own skills in developing a ‘right relationship’ to them. With respect to the latter challenge, I have recently completed a MSc Psychology with a dissertation focusing on digital literacy in the workplace. I hope to publish this in due course but in the meantime have just released a business paper ‘The Digital Workplace Skills Framework’ to help organisations address the digital skills challenge. An aspect of this is about developing the ability to focus attention, learn optimal technology practices, and reflect on them continuously within technology-rich environments. As a mindfulness practitioner, I have also written on the topic of mindful technology use and spoken about this in an interview on the Digital Mindfulness podcast.
Good to be here and I look forward to learning together. 
Hi, I am Mary, and I volunteer as an art museum docent in St Louis, MO. I was delighted to discover this community, especially since I have discovered how quick people are to procure new technology without understanding the ramifications that it may bring. Adaptations in peoples’ behavior as they navigate the streets on foot or in cars, avoidance of interpersonal contact by substitution of contact with electronics. What is the boundary between something being an accessory and having it morph into governing your life like a drug?
I look forward to learning and interacting with others on this site. There is so much I don’t know.
Hi all,
Wow, some seriously talented and motivated people in this thread.
My name is Ilias and I currently work at ESET (EMEA region).
I’ve been in the digital space since 2012 - slowly learning the tactics and tropes that I’m now second-guessing.
The reason I’m here is that I started noticing the negative effects these tropes are having both to me and to members of my family and friends.
Basically, the same ad tactics I used at numerous projects to essentially stalk users and boost sales were used to deteriorate the mental health of people that I care about.
But, enough is enough.
Hope to see this thing sky-rocket - I remain at your disposal should you require any help
Have a great week everyone, and thank you for having me.
Best,
Ilias
Hi everyone,
My name is Rebecca Fiebrink and I’m a senior lecturer (like associate professor for you North Americans) at Goldsmiths University of London. I’m a computer scientist whose research focuses largely on making new technologies to support human creative expression. A lot of my work has examined new ways of using machine learning as a human creative tool and making machine learning useful and usable for everyday people, who are neither computer scientists nor trying to make money with it.
For instance, I’ve made an open source machine learning tool that musicians have used to make crazy new musical instruments like this piece of tree bark, and that students have used to make whimsical interactions like this waving robot. I’ve also worked as a developer on a lot of software specifically for making music, including some current work making open-source software for music therapists working with kids with various disabilities, work on the ChucK music programming language, and some apps by mobile music company Smule.
I also teach creative technology students at my university, including folks who want to become the next generation of digital artists and musicians, as well as those hoping to make the next generation of software and hardware tools for creators.
In short, a lot of my work arises from an interest in how technology can support creative expression and engagement, one of our most meaningful human endeavours. Though technology can certainly be exclusionary in some ways, I also see many opportunities for tech to contribute new, more inclusive, deeply satisfying ways of expressing oneself, making art, and connecting with others through creative practices.
I therefore see a natural overlap between these interests and the larger questions explored here around the capacity (and limits) of technology to be used in meaningful ways. I’m also personally quite concerned about the negative effects I see arising from popular technologies at the moment, and I am looking forward to learning more about the ideas people have for instigating a change in course.
Best,
Rebecca
Hey all, nice to be here. I’m Fran James living in London. I’m on a sabbatical from my work on strategy and innovation in the UK Government to care for a poorly family member. In my spare time I’ve been sharing my own views and insights on technology and innovation at theprimitive.co.uk though been a bit quiet on that front just recently.
I’m particularly interested in social and psychological angles on tech; technology and policy; and tech for good.
Looks like a great mix of experience and skills here.
Fran
Hello all,
Thanks so much for holding space for such a critical issue and for beginning to create a community for those of us hoping to help navigate humanity through this stage of technological adolescence. I strongly believe that with more consciousness and care directed towards creating technology that aligns with & honors our deeper values, and by supporting each other to relate to technology more consciously, we can & will get through this phase.
My name is Leif Hansen and I’m founder of Spark Interaction, a personal and professional development agency focused on emphasizing creative, engaging, meaningful, community-building & learning events. My passion is helping individuals and organizations to imagine and play forward their most inspired futures. Something I’m constantly trying, failing and getting back up again for myself as well.
Some of you may know me through the “SoulTech” workshops I started in around 2008 that ended up getting more press than I knew how to handle at the time (here’s a typically media-sensationalized clip from NBC’s Today Show, and here’s me on a PBS Mediashift panel discussing the workshop and more.) In response to the queries from this workshop, I wrote a free simple little workbook called Visionary Living: Aligning your tech habits with your life’s vision a while back, you’re free to use it and pass it on. Let me know if you want it as the forum won’t let me post another link
I’ve had a love/hate (or really just a #skeptech) relationship with technology my whole life (a much longer story) but I really dove into the topic around 2001 for my master’s thesis project where I looked at the nature of technology through the lens of the ‘magic’ within Tolkien’s trilogy (another much longer story, but let’s just say that it involved inviting a dozen friends into a middle earth setting and exploring their relationship with technology by going on a two day quest with elves and other beings hidden in the woods of Orcas island ) Sound weird and fun? Yes, it was both. Ask me another time.
Anyway, I need to get going, but look forward to being involved in the community and helping out as I may.
Warmly,
Leif
Hi, I’ve worked in International Development and Information and Communication Technology for over 20 years. I most recently worked with Sir Tim Berners-Lee at the World Wide Web Foundation. I’ve been incredibly interested in this topic for many years, reading some of the early literature around ‘techno-stress’. In the area of International Development, what I’ve experienced is a focus that has been significantly about expanding access to people who currently are not able to afford Internet access. This is, of course an important issue, but like so many fields its get caught in a silo as the single issue. I feel organizations like Humanetech are extremely important so that new generations of people and societies, just beginning to use such powerful technology, are well aware of both the positive and negative impacts. Looking forward to the success of this initiative!
Hello all, my name is Will Miller and I teach at Purdue University in the Brian Lamb School of Communication’s online Masters Program in Strategic Communication. I’m teaching the social media sections and of course am riveted by all the issues relevant here. I wrote a book with another professor (Glenn Sparks) on the crisis of Social Isolation (‘Refrigerator Rights: Creating Connections & Restoring Relationships; drwill.com). I am passionate about the social and psychological effects of this new reality, coming about in the combination of serial relocation and media consumption. I’ve been a psychotherapist for 25 years and spent 20 years as a professional standup comedian in New York - lots of media experience. Will look forward to following this crucial endeavor. Thank you for this endeavor!
Hi, I’m Hannah, and I work in email design and development for a SaaS/data driven company. I am learning how to navigate a world that is increasingly data and digitally dependent, without sacrificing the intrinsic things that are most important. Basically, I’m trying to straddle the line of embracing good tech, and pushing back against bad tech, without being the “get off my lawn!” type of codger who is so resistant to all change, even good change…to oversimplify my position.
Hi, I am Tessa Lena, I am a music artist and a writer in NYC. Possibly a philosopher.
I focus on sensory experiences to create happiness, whether it’s through art or conversation.
My writing project is called Tessa Fights Robots. And my latest baby project is VulnerableWin, it’s about teaching people how to talk to each other and enjoy free expression and being appreciated by one’s peers regardless of who is right at this very moment.
Hello, I am from Seattle, WA. I teach middle school at Villa Academy. I coordinate the Learning Support Program in the middle school in addition to my teaching responsibilities. I’m glad to have a place to discuss some of these issues. I love how access to technology is leveling the playing field for many of my students. However, the attention span of the a majority of my students is very concerning.
Hi!
I’m Carina Westling, and I’m a researcher in the southeast of England (including the London area; I work at Sussex Uni and King’s College London). My research area is interaction design and critical infrastructure studies. I did my PhD with Punchdrunk (who did The Drowned Man in London and are currently running Sleep No More in New York and Shanghai, but who have worked with interactive/immersive experience design and theatre in physical and digital media since 2000), researching the social, economical and material infrastructures for their interaction design in digital, physical and blended environments. I also worked in the industry for a number of years.
I’m very curious to see how this group is going to develop, as we are patently in a period precipitating necessary change. I’d love to be part of the next paradigm, and am keen on conversation and collaboration.
My research has yielded a number of observations in regard of infrastructure features that affect conditions of possibility in the interactive environments created. Key areas that I am looking at include modelling agents/agency, perspectives on scaling, and the structure of immersive experience.
I’m interested in learning about your research and ideas in relation not to just these questions, but also in different ways of tackling the process of making technology more humane.
Dear all,
My name is David Chapuis, I am concerned about mental health and social & environmental issues in general. I try to incorporate that “consciousness” into my UX/UI design practice by creating experiments that can hopefully show positive alternatives to the current way tech is designed and help advance the discussion.
Here is the presentation of an experiment on smartphone addiction : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PRXRLj9urelX58g1jyySH_PBdwScK9nJ/view?usp=sharing
(sorry if it looks like sponsored by Adobe, it was first presented to them)
My humble view on the topic we are discussing here is that there is something wrong with the way Silicon Valley works and that we could learn from the agrifood industry to improve things. I hope to elaborate on this in an article soon
Have a nice day everyone,
David
Hi, I’m Zoey. I’m currently studying Cognitive Systems at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. I’m really interested in how mindfulness can mediate our relationship with technology and how tech can be designed more humanely. I’ve also become increasingly concerned with what tech companies are doing with user data. Looking forward to connecting with and learning from like-minded people!
Hi everyone,
I am a documentary filmmaker and current affairs/news producer. I recently started realizing that I was COMPLETELY addicted to my phone and some of its apps, the worst addiction being with Twitter. I could not (still can’t) stop myself from checking Twitter and drinking endlessly from the hose of interesting, outrageous, constantly updating stories from around the world. I got in the habit of turning off my phone every time I had the urge to check it, something that has made me feel so much better, more clear, even in just the past two weeks.
I started digging into some of the research surrounding tech addiction and stumbled upon Tristan Harris and a podcast he did for the Ezra Klein show. I had no idea how much time, energy, and money is being put into making social media and our devices psychologically addictive in order to monopolize and then monetize our attention. It is a fascinating topic, and one that I am currently developing into a story pitch for a few national organizations I work with. At the very least it will help me to justify the time I continue to spend online.
I am particularly interested in the apps and brain hacking strategies that are targeting children and adolescents. I look forward to learning more about this growing backlash to the technologies we take for granted and let into our lives without question.
Team CHT and the Humane Community,
A pleasure to meet you all, I’m John.
I work and live in Montana, and fell in love with the mission of Time Well Spent when stumbled upon it (somehow, I can’t recall). I work with nonprofits, particularly in administration, and study the Philosophy of Technology. I have a keen interest in a branch of Phl. of Tech called ‘Information Communication Technology Consumption Ethics’. It’s quite a mouthful, but relevant to the conversations we have here in this circle.
I look forward to engaging in this community more and hope to get more involved in the Center for Humane Technology in the future 
Sincerely,
John
Hey dear community,
my name is Chris, 29 from Germany, and I’ve worked at both Google and YouTube over the past four years. At Google I’ve been part of the online sales team and supported businesses reaching their targets. Soon I internally applied for a job at YouTube and became partner / community manager for the German market. My primary goal was to help talented online creators grow their YouTube channel and educate them on efficient strategies how to do so. As publicly known the success metric for all businesses/platforms in streaming is watchtime (minutes watched per day). I’ve run dozens of online- and real world workshops for YouTube Creators, set up the first global online creator community and helped creators connect amongst each other through networks and events.
While it is certainly pleasant to work with a wide diversity of creative people on a daily basis, I’ve become more aware of the moral dilemma that the industry is caught in. Primarily because I, as a private viewer, discovered how much time all these attention-seeking services are consuming of my precious days. Well, not only YouTube - but even more so facebook, netflix, instagram, …! And having worked in the industry it did not take a lot to connect the dots between consumer behavior and corporate growth strategies.
Eventually I quit my job at YouTube and ever since am trying to redefine how to address this challenge. Currently I am part of a start-up incubator in Berlin and working on ideas related to Humane Technology.
Very much looking forward to digitally meet all of you!
Chris
Hi,
I am Min. I work in the field of Learning and Development and specialize in MOOCs.I also have a keen interest in Well-Being and the intersection on technology in this space. I am interested in connecting with the community to find out more on what’s happening in this space and also share best practices.