Mentor Debates

I'm a product manager at a tech company, and I've become convinced that the products I build are making people miserable. Not intentionally—we optimize for engagement, and engagement happens to exploit psychological vulnerabilities. I've started limiting my own family's screen time. No phones at dinner. No tablets for the kids during the week. We've seen real benefits—better sleep, more conversation, less anxiety. But my kids are falling behind their peers. They don't know the apps everyone's talking about. They struggle with technology that other kids master easily. My daughter came home crying because she couldn't participate in a group project that required tools she'd never used. My wife says we're being idealistic at our children's expense. "The world runs on technology. You can't prepare them for the future by hiding them from the present." I know technology has incredible potential. I helped build some of it. But I also see what it does to attention, relationships, depth of thought. Are we protecting our kids or handicapping them? Can you opt out of the technological tide without being swept away? — Unplugging or Falling Behind in Austin