The Hidden Costs of Technology and Our Search for Selfhood with Vauhini Vara

In this episode, Vauhini Vara discusses the hidden costs of technology and our search for selfhood. She explains how we live in a world where technology functions as both a lifeline and a trap—offering connection, convenience, and possibility while also shaping our choices, exploiting our attention, and redefining how we see ourselves. Together, Eric and Vauhini explore the tension of relying on tools we can’t seem to live without, the subtle ways algorithms alter our communication, and what it means to hold onto authentic selfhood in the digital age.

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Key Takeaways:

• Exploration of the dual nature of technology as both beneficial and exploitative.
• Discussion on the impact of major tech companies like Amazon, Google, and OpenAI on personal identity and society.
• Examination of the ethical implications of consumer choices in a global capitalist system.
• Reflection on how technology alters human communication and relationships.
• Analysis of the concept of "algorithmic gaze" and its effects on self-perception and identity.
• Personal narratives intertwining technology with experiences of grief and loss.
• Consideration of AI's role in creative processes and its limitations compared to human expression.
• Discussion on the commodification of identity in the age of social media and audience capture.
• Insights into the ongoing negotiation between convenience and ethical considerations in technology use.
• Emphasis on the importance of individual agency and conscious decision-making in navigating the digital age.

If you enjoyed this conversation with Vauhini Vara, check out these other episodes

Distracted or Empowered? Rethinking Our Relationship with Technology with Pete Etchells

Can Radical Hope Save Us from Despair in a Fractured World? with Jamie Wheal

Human Nature and Hope with Rutger Bregman

For full show notes, click here!

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