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Redesigning Tech for Humanity: Building Software That Connects Us, Not Controls Us
In an age where the average person unlocks their phone 96 times a day, technology’s grip on our attention has never felt more suffocating. From infinite scrolls to algorithmically amplified outrage, apps are often designed to exploit our psychological vulnerabilities — leaving us drained, distracted, and disconnected from the real world. But what if technology could be different? What if software was built not to monopolize our time, but to enhance our humanity?
The Problem: How Tech Hijacked Our Attention
Modern apps thrive on a simple formula: maximize engagement at all costs. Features like autoplay videos, variable rewards (e.g., slot machine-style “pull-to-refresh”), and hyper-personalized feeds hijack our dopamine systems, turning smartphones into digital slot machines. The result? A global mental health crisis, with studies linking excessive screen time to anxiety, loneliness, and fractured attention spans.
Yet the problem isn’t technology itself — it’s how we’ve chosen to design it.
Principles for Humane Technology Design
To build software that serves humanity, developers must adopt a new ethos — one that prioritizes human connection over compulsive consumption. Here’s how: