Who’s in Control – Tech or Us?

Technology helps us run our lives, do our jobs, get directions and keep track of our calendars. Right? Or, is technology taking control of our lives – stealing our time, and shattering our attention into a thousand pieces?

Also heard on this week’s show:

• How modern slot machines trick our brains into playing longer, and losing more.
• We visit a guy who’s given his life – and his home – over to technology in his search for smarter living.
• Science writer Elizabeth Weingarten says her brain has been hijacked by tech. We follow her quest for digital detox.
• Why some teens are “ghosting” social media in the name of mental health.
• New Jersey is using algorithms to help determine which defendants are jailed, and which are released. Now, the death of one man is prompting a backlash.
• Pagers went out with mood rings and Hamsterdance – but not for doctors. We find out why hospitals are holding on to their beepers.
• Author of The Digital Doctor Robert Wachter envisions a future where tech advancements give patients and doctors more control over where and how they receive care.
• Amazon Alexa isn’t just a virtual assistant – for some seniors, she’s a lifeline. We hear why that is from the Front Porch Center’s Kari Olsen, then meet a woman who considers Alexa a trusted friend.