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How to Make Tech Products (that Don't Cause Depression and War)

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Picture a typical technologist: she watches how her users scroll, click, and engage with her product. Based on what she sees, she makes changes. She uses user behavior as her "source of truth" about whether her design is working.

Picture a typical technologist : she watches how her users scroll, click, and engage with her product. Based on what she sees, she makes changes. She uses user behavior as her "source of truth" about whether her design is working. While doing this, she shapes her product based on individual preferences (not social ones) and immediate preferences (not long-term ones). Uh oh! An individually-optimized experience (like hailing an Uber) often has negative social effects. An engaging immediate experience (like an hour spent delighted by cat videos, or arguing on the internet) isn't necessarily good

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