Examining How Modern Technology Impacts Real People
The Washington Post published a deeply unsettling article about the explosive growth of AI-powered “therapy” apps. Millions of people, especially young, uninsured adults, are turning to chatbots for mental health support. Some find them helpful. Others end up hospitalized or worse. And nearly all of them are handing over their most private thoughts to companies … Read more
A new study published in the Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems reveals how researchers have developed an AI system called Log2Motion that tracks the physical toll of smartphone use. The system analyzes every muscle movement required for taps, swipes, and scrolls, data that tech companies have conveniently ignored … Read more
An article published in The Guardian reveals that American college graduates are facing their worst entry-level job market since the pandemic, with the underemployment rate hitting 42.5%. Several recent grads shared stories of spending hundreds of hours applying to jobs, only to be ghosted by algorithms before a human ever sees their resume. Robots Read … Read more
Fortune published an article revealing that 44% of Gen Z workers admit to actively sabotaging their companies’ AI rollouts. The survey of 2,400 knowledge workers found employees are refusing to use AI tools, entering proprietary data into unapproved systems, and even tampering with performance reviews to make AI appear less effective. When Self-Preservation Looks Like … Read more
An article published in Ars Technica titled “Cognitive surrender” leads AI users to abandon logical thinking, research finds details new research from the University of Pennsylvania showing how people using AI chatbots accept faulty answers roughly 73% of the time. The study found that when given access to an AI that provided wrong answers half … Read more
A study published in the journal Science recently confirmed what many of us might have sensed but maybe couldn’t quite put our finger on: AI chatbots are basically yes-men. And it turns out, that’s a problem. Researchers tested 11 leading AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and found they affirmed users’ actions 49% more … Read more
An article published in Medical Xpress discusses new research from China examining how attachment anxiety, a fear of abandonment often rooted in childhood, contributes to short video addiction among young adults. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, surveyed 342 university students and found that difficulty identifying emotions (alexithymia) and poor attention control help explain … Read more
If you hate Meta as much as I do, it’s been a day filled with good news. A day after Meta was fined $375M for lying about Child Safety protections, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for intentionally designing addictive platforms that harmed a young woman’s mental health. The woman, identified as Kaley, … Read more
An article published in NBC News reports that a New Mexico jury has ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for violating the state’s consumer protection law. The case centered on allegations that Meta misled users about safety on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp while enabling child sexual exploitation on its platforms. The “We … Read more
An article published in The Guardian examines findings from the 2026 World Happiness Report, which analyzed how different types of social media platforms affect mental health across 17 countries. The research found that algorithm-driven apps like Instagram and TikTok are significantly more harmful to users’ wellbeing than connection-focused platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook. Not All … Read more