Blog Truth About Tech
Recent research shows the majority of parents and teenagers check their mobile devices at least every hour. Nearly 50 percent of parents and more than 70 percent of teens feel the need to respond to texts and other notifications immediately.
Concerns about the risk of digital addictions has motivated an organization called Truth About Tech to be created. Founders James Steyer and Tristan Harris are technologists who were early employees at Facebook and Google. Alarmed over the ill effects of social networks and smartphones, they have banded together to challenge the companies they helped build. Truth About Tech aims to raise awareness about the risk of constant connectivity.
The campaigns’ goal is to educate parents, teens and all users about the addictive quality of cell phones and other devices and also to come up with solutions, including reaching out to the tech giants to request design changes.
There are many techniques used by the tech companies such as Snapchat, Google and Facebook to keep you engaged. It is addiction by design; much like the tobacco companies crafted a deliberate attempt to create addiction. The colors, beeps, and pop ups all are intended to keep you hooked. The platforms that are based on sharing are promoting this addiction because the sharing creates ad sales and helps run their revenue stream.
The organization feels that there is a growing concern how it affects users and feels there is a moral and ethical responsibility to raise awareness and take steps to address this issue. It’s time to have a conversation with the tech giants. Companies like Apple and Samsung can do more to create parental control settings in these devices such as muting sounds and colors. If enough pressure is put on these companies, we may expect to see some changes. Stay tuned!
