This webinar lays the foundation for understanding humane technology—not just what it is, but why it’s essential in today’s digital world. We’ll explore the real costs of inhumane design, from attention erosion to societal disconnection, and why it's time to name the water we're all swimming in.
Through history, lived experience, and real-world examples, we’ll unpack how tech got here, where it’s headed, and what it could look like if builders prioritized human well-being.
What to expect:
🧠 A clearer picture of the now – Learn what’s at stake in our current tech environment—without doom, but with clarity.
📜 Lessons from history – Explore patterns from industries like tobacco and social media that show how we’ve arrived here.
💡 A human-centered lens – Discover a simple, experience-based framework to recognize and advocate for humane technology.
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Erika Anderson
Erika Anderson combines a deep background in storytelling, team dynamics, and ethical product design. As Chief Customer Officer at Storytell, she focuses on creating tools that empower users while emphasizing empathy, transparency, and long-term thinking. Erika’s insights into humane tech—featured on Building Humane Tech—are both thought-provoking and grounded in practical action.
Past Webinars
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The Case for Humane Technology
What is humane technology—and why does it matter now?
This webinar laid the foundation for understanding not just what humane tech is, but why it’s urgently needed in today’s digital world. Hosted by Erika Anderson, Storytell’s CCO and co-founder, the session walked through the costs of inhumane design, introduced a new framework for assessing technology’s impact, and offered a practical approach for product teams ready to build with care.
“Before we go to the solution space, we have to be in the problem space together.”
– Erika Anderson
What's the 'water' we're swimming in?
Erika kicked things off using David Foster Wallace's famous parable about an older fish asking, “How’s the water?” The two young fish answered, "What the hell is water?"
It's a great reminder that we're often unaware of the environment that shapes us. In this case, that environment is technology. We touched upon some eye-opening realities—from concerns about shrinking attention spans (for adults and kids) to the significant rise in teen mental health challenges, something Jonathan Haidt explores deeply in his work on "The Anxious Generation." We also looked at how childhood has shifted from being primarily play-based to increasingly phone-based, impacting social development and resilience.
So, what does 'humane tech' look like?
It's sometimes easier to define something by what it isn't. Humane technology isn't about exploiting our attention, dividing society, or compromising privacy.
Instead, we explored the promises of humane technology designed to:
- Make us feel genuinely cared for.
- Help us feel more present in body and mind.
- Leave us feeling fulfilled and satisfied.
- Foster true connection—with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Why is this conversation so crucial now? As technology like AI becomes even more powerful and immersive (think virtual reality and companion bots), we're at an inflection point. We have a real opportunity and responsibility to consciously build a digital world that serves humanity better.
Beyond features: Looking at the system
It's not just about individual app designs; it's about the larger system. Erika brought in ideas from systems thinker Donella Meadows, highlighting how changing underlying business models or shifting cultural paradigms can have a much bigger impact than tweaking surface-level features. We discussed how business models focused purely on maximizing engagement time (often fueled by ad revenue) can unintentionally incentivize practices like infinite scroll, constant notifications, and pervasive data collection that may not align with our best interests.
Trying to measure what matters: A humane tech scorecard
To make these ideas more concrete, Erika shared a new Promises of Humane Tech Scorecard she developed—and used it to openly assess our own product, Storytell.
It’s built around the four key promises of humane tech and encourages us to ask questions about privacy practices, transparency, mindful design, and whether the tech truly supports users' goals and well-being.
The scorecard offers a practical, team-friendly way to evaluate whether a technology is aligning with human needs. The point of scoring wasn’t to reach a perfect 100—but to get a clear-eyed picture of where things stand and spark discussion about what to improve next.
We see this as a starting point, inspired by broader concepts like Kate Rayworth's "Donut Economics" which thinks holistically about social and ecological foundations.
We believe tools like this can help us all be more intentional. Want to explore it yourself? You can find the template here:
Lighting the path forward
So, how do we move toward a more humane tech future? The webinar highlighted several approaches:
- Collective Action: Inspired by Jonathan Haidt's recommendations, this includes things like communities agreeing to delay kids' access to smartphones and social media, advocating for phone-free schools, and prioritizing real-world independence and play.
- Thoughtful Regulation: We're seeing emerging efforts like age verification laws and state-level design codes.
- Paradigm Shifts: Big changes are possible. Erika reminded us how norms around smoking indoors shifted dramatically once the harms of secondhand smoke became widely understood.
Want to get involved?
Change starts with awareness and conversation. Here are a few ways to engage further:
- Explore resources from the Center for Humane Technology, including their Foundations of Humane Tech Course.
- Join the conversation with others passionate about this in our Building Humane Tech Slack community.
- If you're in the Bay Area, Erika runs Humane Tech meetups you can join.
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