Doomscrolling Detox: Finding Your Balance in the Digital Age
- kencomclub
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
First in the Kenmore Club's "Dinner and a Discussion" series of monthly talks
We are the product that tech companies sell to businesses and the longer they keep us scrolling through their platforms, the more money they make.
That is a key point Andrew Wahl made in his talk presented at the Kenmore Community Club, March 11 before an online and in-person audience of 20 people who came to the first in a series of "Dinner and Discussion" the Kenmore Community Club is hosting.
While our phones, tablets and computers provide us with many useful conveniences the tech companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook have armies of engineers who are continually writing programming aimed at keeping us glued to those devices. Google started by provided the best search results to users, now search is used to sell us things with the most relevant result to your search inquiry many entries down the page.
Likewise Facebook algorithms aim to keep people scrolling through their feeds as long as possible, and one proven way to do that is to feed us with posts that either affirm our own beliefs or posts that anger and divide us.
While it might seem that Apple is a bit more benign in its approach to protecting our privacy, Wahl pointed out the Google pays Apple $20 billion a year to provide search results for Apple's Safari browser.
Another major point Wahl made is that we are not powerless to change how we use our devices. He offered several tips for disconnecting and preserving our own autonomy.
Getting outside in nature is great way to disconnect.
Remove apps that you almost automatically tap when you pull out your device. What that does is it causes you to pause a minute while the app downloads giving you time to consider whether you really need to view that content right now.
Another tip is to get out and meet with neighbors and friends, to discuss and converse with others face-to-face.
This was the first in the Kenmore Community Club's new series of "Dinner and a Discussion" presentations aimed at doing just that. Join us each month at KCC's monthly "Dinner and Discussion series. Together we can fight against the the depersonalization caused our digital age.
Join us for a potluck and discussion of these upcoming topics
4/8 Dr. Yasemin Sari – Together: The Promise of Democracy
5/13 Dr. Jacob Lewis – Why Trust is Essential to Democracy
6/10 Dr. Charles Weller – How America Talks (Differently) About Slavery
Can't make it in person? Sign up here to receive a streaming link
