The Current How smartphones took over our lives and how you can take back control
Aug 19, 2025
Kaitlyn Regehr, an associate professor at University College London, specializes in digital literacy and is the author of Smartphone Nation. She discusses how smartphones are engineered to be addictive and their impact on our daily lives, particularly for children. Regehr shares strategies for parents to foster healthier tech habits and the significance of meaningful conversations about media consumption. She also touches on the implications of 'sharenting' and the responsibility of corporations to protect users, especially the youth, in the digital landscape.
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Early Internet Promise Turned Problem
- Early internet optimism led us to adopt technology before testing or regulation.
- That haste produced complex, addictive systems needing more caution today.
Cardboard Box Algorithm Demo
- Matt used a cardboard-box demo to teach kindergarteners what an algorithm does.
- The kids grasped that algorithms start making choices for us and said we should make our own choices.
Actively Game Your Algorithm
- Open your partner's most-used app and scroll through usage together to see algorithmic silos.
- Then actively unfollow, search, and avoid content you don't want to see to 'game' your algorithm.
