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Exploring Digital Wellbeing with Caitlin Krause

Nov 8, 2024

Guest

Caitlin Krause

Caitlin Krause, an experience designer and founder of MindWise, dives into the pressing issues of digital wellbeing and loneliness among students. She shares her journey from storytelling to immersive design, advocating for intentional relationships with technology. Caitlin emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning, fostering creativity, and integrating mindfulness into tech. She highlights the challenges of digital identity and the need for genuine human connections, while offering practical strategies for reclaiming agency over technology use.

01:13:15

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ANECDOTE

Centering Exercise At AWE

Caitlin led a meditation and mirroring exercise at AWE inside a noisy conference hall to help attendees center and connect.
The activity moved people outdoors to physically inhabit their bodies and deepen empathy through nonverbal tuning.

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INSIGHT

Digital Wellbeing Has Two Meanings

Caitlin frames 'digital wellbeing' as both our relationship with technology and how tech mediates human-to-human connections.
She teaches students to assess whether tech serves as bridge or barrier to belonging and thriving.

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INSIGHT

Students Signal A Loneliness Epidemic

Loneliness shows up repeatedly among Gen Z students and is recognized as a public-health issue.
Caitlin sees students as a canary in the coal mine signaling broader societal loss of belonging.

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Meeting Caitlin and her conference meditation

01:59 • 2min

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Designing embodied conference experiences

03:43 • 1min

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Why mental health belongs at events year-round

05:00 • 17sec

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Caitlin's background and creative curiosity

05:17 • 4min

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From English and tech to immersive design

09:43 • 1min

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Giving others agency through making

10:46 • 1min

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Hosting virtual solstice rituals in XR

12:04 • 2min

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Designing safe XR spaces and onboarding

14:34 • 2min

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Teaching Digital Wellbeing at Stanford

16:56 • 5min

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Students' concerns: loneliness and shame

21:31 • 3min

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Design projects and creative portfolios

24:16 • 60sec

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Encouraging critical but hopeful perspectives

25:15 • 2min

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Pandemic effects and FOTA among Gen Z

27:43 • 4min

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Founding MindWise to blend mindfulness and tech

31:59 • 3min

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MindWise’s mission and experiential approach

35:22 • 2min

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Admara's Law and the long game of tech

37:32 • 3min

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Public vs private identity and integrated leadership

40:05 • 2min

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Digital Wellbeing book and leadership course

42:01 • 48sec

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Personalized tech practices and 'garden spaces'

42:49 • 2min

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Business case: resilience training for organizations

45:11 • 3min

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Mindful tech adoption and XR onboarding for teams

47:47 • 2min

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AI, XR, and designing for human thriving

49:50 • 1min

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Where to find Caitlin and engage with her work

51:12 • 2min

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Choosing joy, wonder, and creative risk

53:01 • 2min

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Somatic practices to return to presence

54:44 • 2min

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MindWise vision: spatial experiences and movement

56:34 • 2min

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Shifting incentives away from engagement-first social apps

58:40 • 3min

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Advisory work and building alternative social models

01:01:23 • 17sec

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Book launch and how Caitlin engages on social media

01:01:40 • 2min

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Caitlin's published works and creative practice

01:03:51 • 1min

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Final reflections on brokenness and hidden wholeness

• Mentioned in 191 episodes

Start with Why

How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Simon Sinek

In 'Start with Why', Simon Sinek introduces the concept of 'The Golden Circle', which consists of 'Why', 'How', and 'What'. He argues that successful leaders and organizations start with their purpose or 'Why', which inspires loyalty and trust. Sinek uses examples such as Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers to illustrate how this approach can lead to significant influence and success. The book emphasizes the importance of leadership and purpose in inspiring others and achieving long-term success.

The conversation delves into the themes of loneliness among students, the role of technology in fostering connections, and Caitlin's consultancy, MindWise, which aims to bridge technology and mindfulness. Throughout the discussion, Caitlin emphasizes the need for intentionality and creativity in our relationship with technology, encouraging students to embrace their curiosity and agency. In this engaging conversation, Ashley Coffey and Caitlin Krause explore the importance of diverse perspectives, the challenges of digital identity, and the need for intentionality in a noisy world. They discuss the dichotomy of public and private selves, the optimization of well-being in high-stress environments, and the mindful integration of technology. Caitlin shares her vision for MindWise, emphasizing the empowerment of meaningful human connection and the importance of following one's passions. The conversation highlights the role of technology in fostering authentic relationships and the beauty of embracing vulnerability and creativity.

Caitlin Krause is an experience designer, global speaker, and author who focuses on the intersection of wellbeing, technology, innovation, and imagination. She founded the interactive studio MindWise in 2015, and teaches about digital wellbeing, AI and XR at Stanford University. Author of Designing Wonder: Leading Transformative Experiences in XR, Mindful by Design, and Digital Satori, Krause has advised global organizations including TED, Google, The U.S. Air Force, Meta, Oracle, Evernote, University of San Francisco, ETH Zürich, and the U.S. State Department. She presented about emotional intelligence, storysharing, and awe-inspired spatial computing at the main TED conference in Vancouver. Her drive is to help individuals and teams navigate complexity and change in the future of thriving, prioritizing wellbeing, collaboration, and creativity. She holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA from Lesley University with a focus on poetry. Her book, Digital Wellbeing (Wiley Press) celebrated its release on September 24, 2024. Find out more at caitlinkrause.com/digitalwellbeing

Follow Caitlin Krause on Social:

LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Website

Amazon Author page for Digital Wellbeing (release date Sept 24, 2024):

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Wellbeing-Empowering-Connection-Imagination/dp/1394281781/r

Amazon author page for poetry book Digital Satori: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Satori-Caitlin-Krause/dp/B0BZF2696H

Amazon author page for Mindful by Design:

https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Design-Cultivating-Experiences-Essentials-ebook/dp/B07MVHLQ92/

Book page for Designing Wonder:

https://caitlinkrause.gumroad.com/l/IxbVJ

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Digital Wellbeing and Caitlin Krause

03:02 Caitlin's Journey and Background

05:54 Embodied Curiosity and Creative Practices

09:02 Teaching Digital Wellbeing at Stanford

11:59 Creating Safe Spaces in Technology

14:57 Student Experiences and Themes in Class

18:03 The Role of Technology in Loneliness

20:58 MindWise: Bridging Technology and Mindfulness

24:04 Long-term Impact of Teaching and Learning

38:22 The Joy of Diverse Perspectives

39:12 Navigating Digital Identity and Pressure

40:53 The Dichotomy of Public and Private Self

42:47 Intentionality in a Noisy World

45:51 Optimizing Well-Being in High-Stress Environments

48:14 Integrating Technology Mindfully

51:56 Following Passions and Designing Life

57:02 Vision for MindWise and Future Integration

01:01:56 The Role of Technology in Human Connection

01:07:34 Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity

EPISODE CREDITS:

Produced and edited by Ashley Coffey. Cover art designed by Ashley Coffey.

Headshot by Brandlink Media

Introduction music composed and produced by Ashley Coffey

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