Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 16

Six Links That Make You Think #770

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Just Evil Enough, Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

Sovereign Engineering. “A friend recently spent six weeks in Madiera building apps and services for a self-sovereign future. It’s easy to dismiss ‘self-sovereignty‘ as mad-hatter libertarianism. But it’s actually about finding ways to communicate, share, pay, and interact in zero-trust environments. Cryptocurrency is the most famous example of this, but far from the only one. For example, there’s Nostr (‘Notes and Other Stuff Transmitted by Relays’) which is a decentralized alternative to social media platforms. There are plenty of good reasons to not trust institutions these days, and this friend shared a link to a conversation between two heavyweights in the field, which I found absolutely fascinating. Really worth listening to carefully.” (Alistair for Hugh). AI Fakers Exposed In Tech Dev Recruitment: Postmortem – Gergely Orosz – The Pragmatic Engineer . “‘A full-remote security startup nearly hired a backend engineer who doesn’t exist.’ File under We’re Not Ready And You Can’t Trust Anyone. The attempt to trick the employer happened twice – and the second time, they recorded it. Juicy post with lots of hard data.” (Alistair for Mitch). Navigating The Twin Crises Of The 2020s – George Friedman – Hidden Forces . “Fascinating interview with strategic forecaster, George Friedman, that provides an coherent explanation for all the unexplainable geopolitical chaos in the world, roughly speaking: the true end of the Cold War is happening right now (as Russia has shown itself too weak to take over Ukraine); and Covid undermined trust in the technocrat liberal management class. Domestically, Trump is ripping up the old political and ruling order in the US, and a new system will emerge; simultaneously the global structures and systems we built up after WW2 (United Nations, trade agreements, NATO) will be discarded, and we’re not sure what’s coming next. According to Friedman, this isn’t about Trump, but Trump is the vehicle for this change.” (Hugh for Alistair).    Failure Or Success In The Time Of Trump – Jim Balsillie  – The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast . “Jim Balsillie (BlackBerry founder) explains to Jordan Peterson what has gone wrong with the Canadian economy/economic strategy in the past 25 years, and why – with Trump – we are at a momentously important moment for our country. Just to remind everyone: Canada now ranks last in OECD in economic growth, in GDP/capita, and expected growth in the next 40 years. This means a) we are getting poorer, which means b) we will be less able to finance what we want (health, education), and c) we become irrelevant in the world. Why are we doing so badly? In Balsillie’s telling, Canada’s economic strategy is based on free trade ideology rooted in a manufacturing and resource reality from 30 years ago. While the US trade strategy – even in the time of Trump – and the strategies of other countries revolves almost entirely around digital control and IP. Canada does not even have a coherent IP strategy for trade. Balsillie compares this with, for instance, the Nordic countries who have all both deeply understood this shift and managed to benefit at the same time from a powerful resource sector. The stakes are very high right now, and I sure hope the next Prime Minister gets this right.” (Hugh for Mitch). How To Stay Open And Curious In Hard Conversations – Monica Guzman – Greater Good Magazine . “When you’re intellectually curious and learning a lot, it’s often hard to have difficult conversations (especially with people who only read soundbytes/drink from the firehose of their own echo chamber). I’ve experienced this much more lately. Whether it’s politics or religion or… philosophy, it seems like everyone has a strong opinion about really contentious issues. I’ve seen families separate and friendships ruined over discussions gone awry. This was a great read… maybe not a lot of new information if you’re already engaged in these conversations, but a great reminder. I find this be especially true for someone like me, when people debate one side by trying diminish the opposing side (while also not realizing that I might – in fact – not like either option). Stay curious!” (Mitch for Alistair). ‘More Are Published Than Could Ever Succeed’: Are There Too Many Books? – Richard Godwin – The Guardian . “This article poses such a great question (and one worthy of a real debate): Are there too many books? Are too many people publishing books? Is AI only going to increase the amount of books published (quality be damned)? We used to lament book publishers and literary agents who acted as gatekeepers/curators and now – because of digital books, self-publishing, hybrid publishing and many other models – anyone can be an author! That’s a good thing… that’s a bad thing. I guess we can also say the same thing about music these days (thanks, Spotify!)? Whatever side you’re willing to debate, it’s clear that more is not better and when there is more of anything, it makes it harder for the cream to rise to the top… which, ultimately, can make the entire industry suffer. Lots to think about here.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Smartphone, Dumb Brain – The Rise Of Brain Rot

My brain is broken.

I realized this a few months back.
In trying to be informed on a myriad of issues I didn’t fully understand, I spent way too much time doomscrolling.
I figured my background in journalism mixed with my ability to surf the center of most issues would protect me (along with decades of digital communications).

It didn’t.

And, I think it broke my brain.
When did our phones stop being a tool… and start becoming an appendage?
We don’t scroll anymore. 
We immerse ourselves in it. 
And by “it,” I mean the endless, frictionless sea of smartphone content.
What used to be a call or a text or a clip is now full-day immersion.
And this isn’t just a digital habit. 

It’s showing up in our brain scans. Literally.

MRI imagery from a 2021 Korean study (shared in this CBS News segment) reveals what smartphone addiction does to our heads. 
The brains of addicted users lit up like Times Square – not because they’re smarter, but because their brains are working harder to do simpler tasks. 
Translation? 
We’re becoming less attentive. 
More distracted. 
Harder to focus. 

And we call it, with the kind of blunt honesty that only Gen Z could love: brain rot.

This isn’t a small problem. 
It’s a rewiring of how we live. 
Work. 
Think.
And it turns out, according to this study, that “smartphones have wide-reaching changes all over the brain.”

So what are we supposed to do?

The phone is your calendar, your banking, your family chat, your everything. 
But there are antidotes… analog ones.
Drawing.
Playing an instrument (try electric bass!).
A Kindle instead of Instagram.
It turns out that creative or physical non-digital outlets actually rewire the brain. 
Less digital dopamine loop, more real-life feedback.

Here are the other things I would recommend:

Turn off all notifications (your brain doesn’t need to hear every ding).Don’t just look at your screen time, set limits on apps and create a strict downtime (if that fails, program your home Internet to shut down at a specific time).Remove social media apps or, at least, the logins (friction is your friend – make it harder to get to).Grayscale your screen (Instagram is way less fun without the colors).Schedule hobbies, not just meetings (read a chapter of a book every morning before checking your email).Get an accountability partner (someone who sees you reaching and says, “put it down”).

Smartphone addiction isn’t a medically recognized condition… yet. 

But the link between excessive screen time and cognitive decline, depression, and anxiety? 
It’s showing up everywhere. 
Just ask the MRI.
It’s not that we don’t know we’re addicted. 
It’s that the addiction is now so culturally normalized that doing anything but scrolling feels weird.

But here’s the bigger question:

If the phone has become your oxygen, what happens when it starts choking you?
You can roll your eyes at terms like “brain rot,” but you can’t scroll past the truth. 
We check our phones mid-conversation, mid-movie… mid-thought.

The next great mental health crisis isn’t coming. 

It’s already here.
And it’s charging overnight on your nightstand.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Smartphone, Dumb Brain – The Rise Of Brain Rot

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Jennifer Moss On Creating Work Everyone Wants – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #976 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Jennifer Moss has been a guiding voice in the evolving conversation around workplace culture, burnout, and what it truly means to find purpose in our work. Her latest book, Why Are We Here? – Creating A Work Culture Everyone Wants, takes a deep dive into how work has changed – sometimes for the better, often for the worse – and what leaders can do to fix it. Jennifer is also the author of The Burnout Epidemic and Unlocking Happiness At Work. In this conversation, Jennifer and I explore the shifting motivations of employees post-pandemic, the growing tension around remote and hybrid work, and why so many people are feeling disengaged in their careers. She shares insights from her extensive research, highlighting the erosion of trust between employers and employees, the disconnect between ideal career expectations and workplace reality, and the impact of AI on job security. We also discuss why organizations need to rethink productivity metrics, prioritize autonomy, and create spaces for in-person connection, even in remote work environments. Jennifer doesn’t just diagnose the problems – she offers real solutions, drawing on examples of companies that are getting it right. As the workplace continues to evolve, her research and advice couldn’t be more timely. If you’re wondering how to build (or rebuild) a work culture that people actually want to be a part of, this is for you. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #976 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast .

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #976 – Jennifer Moss On Creating Work Everyone Wants

Welcome to episode #976 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Jennifer Moss has been a guiding voice in the evolving conversation around workplace culture, burnout, and what it truly means to find purpose in our work. Her latest book, Why Are We Here? – Creating A Work Culture Everyone Wants, takes a deep dive into how work has changed – sometimes for the better, often for the worse – and what leaders can do to fix it. Jennifer is also the author of The Burnout Epidemic and Unlocking Happiness At Work. In this conversation, Jennifer and I explore the shifting motivations of employees post-pandemic, the growing tension around remote and hybrid work, and why so many people are feeling disengaged in their careers. She shares insights from her extensive research, highlighting the erosion of trust between employers and employees, the disconnect between ideal career expectations and workplace reality, and the impact of AI on job security. We also discuss why organizations need to rethink productivity metrics, prioritize autonomy, and create spaces for in-person connection, even in remote work environments. Jennifer doesn’t just diagnose the problems – she offers real solutions, drawing on examples of companies that are getting it right. As the workplace continues to evolve, her research and advice couldn’t be more timely. If you’re wondering how to build (or rebuild) a work culture that people actually want to be a part of, this is for you. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:05:21.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on X.Here is my conversation with Jennifer Moss.Why Are We Here? – Creating A Work Culture Everyone Wants.The Burnout Epidemic.Unlocking Happiness At Work.Follow Jennifer on LinkedIn.Follow Jennifer on X.Follow Jennifer on Instagram.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Exploring Purpose: Why Are We Here?
(02:52) – The Intersection of Work and Life.
(05:56) – The Changing Landscape of Work.
(09:06) – Generational Perspectives on Work.
(12:04) – The Role of Technology in Work Dynamics.
(15:08) – The Multiverse of Work: A New Paradigm.
(17:58) – Trust and Expectations in the Workplace.
(21:02) – The Evolution of Work Culture.
(23:51) – Productivity and the Future of Work.
(32:31) – Empowering Autonomy in the Workforce.
(33:34) – The Importance of In-Person Connection.
(35:02) – Rethinking Meetings and Communication.
(36:55) – Navigating the Multiverse of Work.
(39:40) – The Shifting Power Dynamics in the Labor Market.
(43:24) – The Challenge of Meaningful Work.
(46:21) – The Disconnect Between Ideal and Reality in Careers.
(49:55) – Addressing Chronic Stress in the Workforce.
(51:40) – The Impact of Disengagement on Business.
(54:54) – Finding Light in the Current Work Landscape.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #976.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #769

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Just Evil Enough, Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

He’s Anti-Democracy And Pro-Trump: The Obscure ‘Dark Enlightenment’ Blogger Influencing The Next US administration – Jason Wilson – The Guardian . “Elbows up time. Plenty of friends have asked my opinion on what’s going to happen in Canada/US relations. I don’t have many predictions, other than the fact that people need to work on their ability to adapt to changing circumstances. But two documents have informed many of the people in positions of power, and they’re both readily available. The first is a seldom-discussed writer named Curtis Yarvin, who Vox says has spent more time ‘gaming out how, exactly, the US government could be toppled and replaced’.” (Alistair for Hugh). Project 2025 Tracker . “The second document is Project 2025. If you want a detailed outline of the tasks the new administration set for itself, it exists. This tracker catalogues what the plan calls for, and how much of it has been accomplished (subject, of course, to oversight by elected leaders, rulings by judges, and ultimately, the willingness of law enforcement and the military to follow their orders). I try really hard to be non-partisan in these links, and offer these without commentary. But I think I speak for the vast majority of Canadians when I say I hope my friends to the South are reading these.” (Alistair for Mitch). The Final Frontier? How Humans Could Live Underwater In ‘Ocean Stations’ – Katherine Latham – BBC. “Seems attractive right about now.” (Hugh for Alistair). The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, And The Future Of The West – Alexander C. Karp – Goodreads . “Mitch thinks we might just be living in a simulation where someone really played around with the settings recently and now down is up. In that vein, I myself would not have guessed, ‘Hugh suggests book by CEO of Palantir‘ on the bingo card of life. Yet, I listened to a recent interview with Alex Karp on Honestly, and found at least some of what he had to say compelling. I am enjoying his book right now, and trying to get my head around whether it actually makes sense. Like much of the politics of the world right now, it’s hard to parse the tension between libertarian/freedom, and government-driven mass initiatives. Looking forward to a lunch with Mitch and Alistair to sort this all out.” (Hugh for Mitch). OpenAI’s Metafictional Short Story About Grief Is Beautiful And Moving – Jeanette Winterson – The Guardian . “I’m starting to think that people who don’t believe AI can be creative are, simply, lost. In fairness to that statement, I think the same about most humans who believe that their opinion on what makes something creative… or art… is also the actual defition. A comic book is art to me and, perhaps, trash to someone who loves oil paintings in the theme of realism. I can’t tell you how many people sideeyed my taste in music gorwing up and now those artists – 30 years on – are still selling out arenas and are beloved. So… it’s subjective. Now, take a read of this. Thoughts? I don’t care whether you like it or not (that’s taste… not art). And, would you think about it differenlty (or have read it differently) if you didn’t know that this was an AI output? Interesting times…” (Mitch for Alistair). Brian Eno On What Art Does – Faber Books – YouTube . “I was telling someone the other day (I can’t remember who) that Brian Eno is an interesting person to me. I enjoy (but can’t claim to be a fan) of some of his music… some of his production work… but when he talks or is being interviewed? Well… that I can’t stop looking at. I find how he talks about music, art, technology and creativity way more fascinating than his other outputs. This seemed like the perfect compliment to my link above. Eno has a new book out called, What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory, co-authored with Bette Adriaanse. It’s a tricky question: Why do we like music? Or a specifc musician? Or a style? I love this question, and while the book doesn’t come out for a few days I have it pre-ordered and will dive into this rich mystery of life asap. Now, let’s link the two concepts together and ask a greater question: Why don’t we like art created by something not human (think AI)?” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement  and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

The Attention Economy Is Bankrupt – Are Trillions Of Digital Impressions Just An Illusion?

Digital advertising boasts jaw-dropping numbers, with trillions of impressions annually.

With about 5 billion internet users globally, trillions of impressions would mean each individual faces over 10,000 ads per day.
Yes, 10,000… which is not even possible, is it?
Break that down: Spending roughly six hours daily online, each person would have only two fleeting seconds per ad.

I’m thinking that the “golden age” of digital advertising is long gone.

I’d also make the argument that consumer intent has both shifted and is very different when laid against the models of advertising that we currently have.
Let’s not forget that users are constantly being inundated, some are being tricked and many are being misled (and even tracked) based on their usage.
There’s also a ton of fraud, bots, errors, pixel stuffing and more.
So, is digital advertising genuinely effective or is it no different than what we would define as “traditional advertising” from the days of yore?
In a world where marketers can do everything from content to advertising in text, images, audio, video, short-form, long-form, sponsorships, working with influencers, building their own lists/communities and on and on, shouldn’t the results, conversions and cost per acquisition be much better?

We were promised sophisticated algorithms, personalized content and relentless retargeting that might mean fewer, but more impactful, encounters… did that happen?

Maybe these trillion of views tells a bigger story: That advertising shifted from a scarcity model to one of abundance and… maybe… that simply doesn’t work for brands or consumers?

And here’s the kicker: Based on this new research, precise targeting is not statistically improbable.

Let that sink in.

So, what can businesses do to make this work for them (and it will be hard work):

Create your own metrics and meaning that are universal to your own business and don’t waver. Choose better publishers and platforms for your advertising needs. Work with those who have the audience that you are truly trying to get in front of. Audit what is happening frequently. Don’t do this quarterly and don’t do this post-campaign. Audit in real-time.Smaller tests = bigger buys. Start small, pay attention and decide if it’s worth the bigger spend.Account for shrinkage. All physical retail accounts for shoplifting and breakage. Do this as well. Fake traffic, bots and problems are real.

Final reminder: Your mileage may vary (as Seth Godin likes to say) and revenue speaks louder than impressions.

But there’s much more…

This, and other current marketing topics were discussed along with Lisa Laporte (TWiT.tv), Augie Ray (Gartner) and host Bob Knorpp (always a good human) on the very excellent BeanCast Podcast (which I’ve been fortunate to be a guest on in the past). I don’t know what it is about BeanCast, Bob Knorpp and these other panelists, but there is always “something in the water” when we record these conversations that brings out a lot of stimulating ideas and insights (and some friendly disagreements too!).

Are you ready for this deep dive into the world of media and marketing? Here is: BeanCast #773 – There’s Not Enough People.

For about an hour, we discussed and debated the following topics:

Simple Digital Math.Creators Seeking Independence.Women’s Sports Delivers.AI Citing Bad Sources.

Take a listen and jump into the fray.

Mitch Joel · BeanCast 773 – There’s Not Enough People

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Charge Your Car Not The Culture Wars – The Strange New Reality For Tesla Owners

We live in strange times.

Once, Tesla was the symbol of innovation – an electric car company that changed the auto industry forever (and, maybe, about as Democratic blue and Leftie as one could get). 
Now, it’s a lightning rod for political division.
We’ve seen Tesla dealerships vandalized, charging stations set on fire, and owners harassed. 
It’s not because of faulty batteries or a bad recall. 
It’s because people have tied the brand (maybe unfairly?) to one man: Elon Musk.

But is this fair? 

Should the owners of a car brand be treated as political proxies and subject to taunts and violence?
Tesla’s profits have tanked. 
Sales are slipping. 
Even used Teslas are losing value at an alarming rate.

But let’s not let the present poison the reality: 

The vast majority of people who own a Tesla didn’t buy it because of Musk’s posts on X, his politics, or his obsession with DOGE. 
Most owners bought their vehicles long before this… and for the same reason anyone buys a car – because it suited their needs.
They wanted an electric car with great range. 
A robust charging network. 
A way to cut down on gas expenses (and help the enviornment).
Now, those same people find themselves dodging attacks – both online and in real life. 
Some Tesla owners have removed the logos from their cars as a form of protest. 
Others are slapping on fake Honda or Mazda logos to avoid confrontation.
I loved this take from my friend, Josh Bernoff: Leave the freakin’ Teslas alone.
Things might have reached peak absurdity when President Donald Trump called vandalism against Tesla properties an act of “domestic terrorism.” 
It could have also been the live infomercial from the White House lawn.

That’s how you know we’ve entered an alternate timeline in this simulation.

As a reminder:
Most Tesla owners are just regular folks trying to get from A to B. 
They didn’t sign up to be political pawns in the culture war.
Maybe we should stop treating a car brand as a battleground for ideological warfare?
If you really want to take a stand against Musk, you don’t have to key (or pee on) a stranger’s Tesla. 
That doesn’t send a message – it just makes life harder for your neighbor.
Instead, you can create direct impact if you sell your shares in his company… or don’t buy a new Tesla… or support competitors. 

Vote with your wallet and not by hating on your neighbors.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

Mitch Joel · Charge Your Car, Not The Culture War – The Strange New Reality For Tesla Owners

Before you go… ThinkersOne is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Nicholas Carr On The Human Consequences Of Connection And Technology – This Week’s Six Pixels of Separation Podcast

Episode #975 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to:

Nicholas Carr has long been one of the most important voices questioning how technology is shaping our minds, our communication, and our culture (and a personal favorite). His latest book, Superbloom – How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, builds on the themes he’s explored in The Shallows and The Glass Cage, offering a critical look at how our obsession with constant connectivity may be eroding human relationships rather than strengthening them. In this conversation, Nick challenges the assumption that more communication automatically leads to greater understanding, explaining how friction in conversation is necessary for thoughtful interactions. We discussed the rise of dissimilarity cascades – how exposure to differing viewpoints can sometimes increase polarization rather than bridge divides – and why the utopian vision of digital communication often clashes with human nature. Nick also highlights the psychological toll of constant connectivity, particularly among younger generations, and the unintended consequences of social media’s influence on work, leisure, and personal identity. As AI continues to reshape communication, he raises important questions about authenticity, the risk of society becoming skeptical of everything, and the broader shift toward efficiency at the cost of deeper human values. His perspective is always thought-provoking, and this conversation is no exception. If you want to rethink how you engage with technology in your daily life, this episode is a must-listen. You should also check out his excellent Substack newsletter, New Cartographies. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via Apple Podcast or whatever platform you may choose):  #975 – Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

SPOS #975 – Nicholas Carr On The Human Consequences Of Connection And Technology

Welcome to episode #975 of Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast.

Nicholas Carr has long been one of the most important voices questioning how technology is shaping our minds, our communication, and our culture (and a personal favorite). His latest book, Superbloom – How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, builds on the themes he’s explored in The Shallows and The Glass Cage, offering a critical look at how our obsession with constant connectivity may be eroding human relationships rather than strengthening them. In this conversation, Nick challenges the assumption that more communication automatically leads to greater understanding, explaining how friction in conversation is necessary for thoughtful interactions. We discussed the rise of dissimilarity cascades – how exposure to differing viewpoints can sometimes increase polarization rather than bridge divides – and why the utopian vision of digital communication often clashes with human nature. Nick also highlights the psychological toll of constant connectivity, particularly among younger generations, and the unintended consequences of social media’s influence on work, leisure, and personal identity. As AI continues to reshape communication, he raises important questions about authenticity, the risk of society becoming skeptical of everything, and the broader shift toward efficiency at the cost of deeper human values. His perspective is always thought-provoking, and this conversation is no exception. If you want to rethink how you engage with technology in your daily life, this episode is a must-listen. You should also check out his excellent Substack newsletter, New Cartographies. Enjoy the conversation…

Running time: 1:01:14.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.Please visit and leave comments on the blog – Six Pixels of Separation.Feel free to connect to me directly on Facebook here: Mitch Joel on Facebook.Check out ThinkersOne.or you can connect on LinkedIn.…or on X.Here is my conversation with Nicholas.Superbloom – How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart.The Shallows.The Glass Cage.New Cartographies.This week’s music: David Usher ‘St. Lawrence River’.

Chapters:

(00:00) – Introduction to Nicholas Carr and His Work.
(03:13) – Thematic Connections in Carr’s Books.
(06:10) – The Misconception of Communication Technology.
(08:46) – Human Nature vs. Technology: A Conflict.
(11:54) – The Impact of Online Communication on Empathy.
(14:47) – The Dangers of Digital Disconnection.
(17:59) – Parental Influence on Children’s Technology Use.
(20:47) – The Social Dynamics of Smartphone Usage.
(24:09) – The Rise of Anxiety and Loneliness in Youth.
(27:07) – The Concept of Influencers and Work in the Digital Age.
(34:24) – The Misconception of Leisure vs. Work.
(35:34) – Rethinking Our Relationship with Technology.
(39:03) – The Dangers of Blind Adaptation.
(42:00) – AI: A Revolutionary Shift in Communication.
(47:30) – The Impact of AI on Human Expression.
(56:09) – The Original Sin of Efficiency Over Humanity.

Download the Podcast here: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #975.

Before you go… ThinkersOne  is a new way for organizations to buy bite-sized and personalized thought leadership video content (live and recorded) from the best Thinkers in the world. If you’re looking to add excitement and big smarts to your meetings, corporate events, company off-sites, “lunch & learns” and beyond, check it out.

Six Links That Make You Think #768

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Just Evil Enough, Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

You Are Witnessing The Death Of American Capitalism – Benn Jordan – YouTube . “I am really impressed with Benn Jordan. He’s a musician, but he makes really, really good content across a wide range of topics. I recently shared another video of his about how many bots are actually online. This one is a fascinating explanation of how capitalism works, how wealth is distributed, and what might be happening in the US (and, by association, many other countries.) ‘In the early 2000s, Capitalism got so complicated that investors didn’t fully understand what they were buying.’ Yikes. Really worth your time.” (Alistair for Hugh). Why You’re So Angry At Work (And What To Do About It) – Natalie Rothfels – Lenny’s Newsletter . “Natalie Rothfels wrote a guest piece for Lenny Rachitsky that really spoke to me. My inner monologue has become increasingly angry over the last few years, likely in response to humans not being able to get their shit together in all kinds of ways. I don’t usually share ‘touchy feely’ stuff, but this one was worth it (and with good reason; she’s a facilitator for Stanford‘s Interpersonal Dynamics course, which is often referred to by its other name – Touchy Feely. Now, if Lenny can just get someone to explain active listening, I’ll be all set.” (Alistair for Mitch). Black Holes: Not Endings, But Beginnings? Theoretical Study Delves Into ‘White Holes’ – MSN . “I remember sitting at lunch in Grade 5 with the science teacher, Mr. Kringle, at our table (private school, lunch was a table of ten with a teacher at the head). I don’t remember anything else about the conversation, but I do remember him saying that a cubic centimeter of a black hole would weigh two billion metric tonnes. It’s my first memory of grappling with an adult-level scientific understanding of how weird the world is, and my first introduction to black holes. ‘You’d never be able to weigh it though because you would be sucked in along with everything else because the pull of gravity would be so huge,’ said Mr. Krindle. Until today, I hadn’t heard of white holes.” (Hugh for Alistair). Unitree Humanoid Robot Malfunctions And Attacks Woman, Strikes Others At Event In China – DeepNewz . “Nothing to see here, just move along.” (Hugh for Mitch). Is AI Really Thinking And Reasoning — Or Just Pretending To? – Sigal Samuel – Vox . “AI just levelled up and – while we are talking about it – we are not talking about it enough. When I read this article, I had one thought: AI just grew a brain. We all know that these new models can reason, but have we thought enough about what this means? These new engines are not just spitting out answers – they’re thinking through problems, step by step, like a human would. And that changes everything (and I never like writing that phrase out). Think of it this way: AI has always been a whiz at pattern-matching and predicting what we might expect, but now it’s learning how to connect the dots in a way that looks a lot like critical thinking. That means better medical breakthroughs, stronger cybersecurity, and even AI that can tackle complex scientific questions. The potential upside is massive. But (and it’s a big but)… smarter AI doesn’t just mean better solutions – it also means bigger risks (which we also know). These reasoning models could be used to crack encryption, manipulate markets, or even accelerate the development of bioweapons. OpenAI and DeepSeek know this, which is why they’re putting safety measures in place (we hope?). History tells us that once a technology like this exists, it’s almost impossible to control where it goes next. So the real question isn’t what AI can do. It’s who gets to use it, how it’s used, and whether we’re thinking ahead fast enough. And, there’s a bigger thought here: Who cares if this is AGI or not? If it’s already smarter/equal to most Phds… does it really matter if it’s faking it or not?” (Mitch for Alistair). Something Is Rotten In The State Of Cupertino – John Gruber – Daring Fireball . “Earlier this week, I did my regular radio hit about what’s going on (or, more accurately, what is NOT going on) with Apple and artificial intelligence (aka Apple Intelligence). As someone who knows, likes and loves my Apple gear (including a lot of their software and services on top of the hardware), it’s a bit of a head-scratch (you can take a listen to my thoughts over here: Think Different? The AI Race Apple Might Be Losing). Elias Makos (the radio host who interviews me every week) sent me this article the other night as a follow-up, and it’s a scathing take down of the trillion-dollar-plus empire that is Apple… and their opporunity in the near-future. John is clearly stating that everything can’t be ‘marketing’… there needs to be actual substance, programs, initiatives and releases that are driving Apple forward. Candidly, I’m hopeful that we’re all wrong and that Apple is smarter and better than all of this.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on X, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

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