Tristan Harris: "Social Media: Bringing the Ring to Mordor"
The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens
Nate Hagens
4.8 • 555 Ratings
🗓️ 27 April 2022
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode, we meet with Co-Founder of the Center for Humane Technology and co-host of Your Undivided Attention Podcast, Tristan Harris.
Harris explores the intersection of society and social media technology. How does modern social media pose an existential risk for society? How can we create a healthier, sustainable relationship between our social technology and culture?
Harris explains how privacy, liability, and antitrust could contribute to a healthier tech ecosystem. Why is it not enough to reduce the harm of technology, and how can we use technology to strengthen democracy?
About Tristan Harris:
Tristan Harris has spent his career studying how today's major technology platforms have increasingly become the social fabric by which we live and think, wielding dangerous power over our ability to make sense of the world. Along with Aza Raksin, he is the Co-Host of "Your Undivided Attention," consistently among the top ten technology podcasts on Apple Podcasts, which explores how social media's race for attention is destabilizing society and the vital insights we need to envision solutions. Tristan was also the primary subject of the acclaimed Netflix documentary, "The Social Dilemma," which unveiled the hidden machinations behind social media.
For Show Notes and Transcript visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/16-tristan-harris
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to The Great Simplification with Nate Higgins. |
| 0:06.0 | That's me. |
| 0:07.0 | On this show, we try to explore and simplify what's happening with energy, the economy, the environment, and our society. |
| 0:17.0 | Together with scientists, experts, and leaders, this show is about understanding the bird's-eye view of how everything fits together, where we go from here and what we can do about it as a society and as individuals. |
| 0:32.9 | Today's guests probably needs no introduction to those paying attention to the social media |
| 0:38.6 | space and to issues around democracy and polarization. |
| 0:44.1 | Tristan Harris is the co-founder of the nonprofit, the Center for Humane Technology, whose |
| 0:50.4 | work was highlighted in the film The Social Dilemma, which was viewed over a hundred |
| 0:55.0 | million times. |
| 0:56.7 | Tristan and I have become friends in the past year. |
| 0:59.5 | I've introduced him to people in D.C. and elsewhere, because I've concluded that without |
| 1:05.6 | people understanding what's real, what is science, what is algorithm driven. If we can't have that |
| 1:13.0 | conversation and discourse nationally, we will never be able to solve. The longer term issues of |
| 1:19.7 | climate change, resource depletion, financial overshoot, etc. As you'll see from our discussion, |
| 1:25.6 | Tristan knows the intersection of society with our social media |
| 1:29.5 | technology cold. |
| 1:31.3 | It is my hope his organization and efforts can help pave away to some healthier, more |
| 1:37.2 | sustainable relationship between our social technology and our culture. |
| 1:42.5 | I hope you find our conversation educational and helpful. |
| 1:47.0 | Since I first met you last year, I think I need to call out your team's influence on our social media conversation. |
| 2:09.6 | Obviously, my listeners probably know you made the movie The Social Dilemma and with the Center of Humane Technology and Francis |
| 2:18.8 | Howgan and presentations, I'm sure you've given all over the world for the first time |
... |
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