Technology is deepening and amplifying loneliness, says John MacIntosh. Apple could make it even easier for people to get a specific vibration signature on their phones by giving them the option of batching notifications. He also suggests reintroducing stopping queues so that scrolling doesn't lead to feelings of isolation or self-loathing. McIntosh: The technology industry needs to do its own research before making any major changes in how we interact with our devices.
In part two of our interview with cultural anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll, author of Addiction by Design, we learn what gamblers are really after a lot of the time — it’s not money. And it’s the same thing we’re looking for when we mindlessly open up Facebook or Twitter. How can we design products so that we’re not taking advantage of these universal urges and vulnerabilities but using them to help us? Tristan, Aza and Natasha explore ways we could shift our thinking about making and using technology.