An interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both organisms, is referred to as symbiosis.
Do you feel like you're living in symbiosis with your personal tech?
Are we chasing after our most ambitious goals with the help of the latest innovations? Ambitious goals such as: approaching our work efficiently, maintaining our mental and physical health, and developing our creativity and our personal relationships. You know…the things that are most important to us.
Are we utilizing our tech to assist us to its fullest extent? This is the question every society must ask itself once it reaches certain technological heights.
It's important to take a step back and realize the immense technological progress that has taken place in such a rapid amount of time. Because let’s admit it: the technological capabilities we have now have gotten pretty insane.
To think that in our pockets with the latest smartphones we have access to 100,000 times more processing power than the Apollo 11 computer. According to Statista, more than 45% of the world’s population has access to this information at all times. To put this percentage into perspective: that is 3.5 BILLION smartphone users.
Still, we have to be aware of the downsides to our accessible tech. It's incredibly easy to mindlessly swipe away on our smartphones. These things are ridiculously addictive. How often have you used your device for something productive, only to realize you actually spent the last 10 minutes on your Instagram feed looking at airbrushed photographs?
One popular feature is the infinite scroll of our social media feeds. Designed with the same "variable rewards" principle of a slot machine, infinite scroll leaves us addicted to guessing what the result of scrolling will be, either a notification (people love me!) or no notification (no one likes me!). But it continues on and on. In the words of the famous Buzz Lightyear, scrolling on our smartphones goes “to infinity and beyond” as it uses up our most valuable, finite resource….Time.
Do these attentional algorithms utilized by Big Tech, and the design of these heavily addictive devices and platforms truly reflect what we desire from our existence?
The current market landscape for Big Tech is unfortunately capturing as much of our collective attention as possible with zero consideration for responsibility or digital wellbeing.
For companies, more screen time = more profits.
For consumers, more screen time = more time lost.
When it comes to our technology, we need a paradigm shift toward minimizing screen time and emphasizing humanity's best interests. Digital wellbeing is a critical concept to discuss, to focus on what we can do to negate this epidemic of increasing screen time.
Instead of getting sucked into an endless feed of notifications and third-party advertisements, let’s examine what we truly want our technology to assist us with. Let’s create a more healthy dynamic when it comes to symbiosis with our tech!
With Sentien's latest innovation, you can move away from the addictive nature of apps and embrace your personal space digitally without needing to take out any screen.
With Sentien Audio, we shifted a majority of the digital experience and utility you get from smartphone screens to a fully-compatible audio interface. You can communicate, connect, and listen all through one seamless device.
Sentien Audio conducts you to the sound in a rather profound way. Most available audio technology blocks the ear canal, which truly fragments its potential throughout the day, when you have to continually take something out of your ears. Sentien Audio, on the other hand, conducts sound to your inner ear through your cheekbones, so you are still able to hear the world around you. It's a form of technology that provides comfortable use all day while minimizing ever-increasing screen time. A true win-win.
We have the technology, and we have a responsibility. At Sentien, we're using the latest and greatest technological advances to create tools with your digital wellbeing in mind.
Cheers to the first step towards harmonizing with our tech.
Written by Adam Bartley
