KQED's Forum How Do You Friction-Maxx?
Jan 30, 2026
Kathryn Jezer-Morton, columnist who coined "friction-maxxing," argues for reclaiming inconvenient, embodied experiences. Stephen Council, SFGATE tech reporter, shares reporting and personal examples about chatbots and convenience tools. Morgan Sung, pod host and tech critic, examines intentional media use and design that removes friction. They discuss in-person shopping, transit, social skills, tech design, and practical ways to choose inconvenience.
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Reframe Inconvenience As Encounter
- Friction-maxxing reframes 'inconvenience' as embodied encounters with the world rather than problems to erase.
- Kathryn Jezer-Morton argues many modern conveniences remove ordinary social practice and presence.
Trying On Social Practice In Stores
- Kathryn describes shopping in stores and asking salespeople for help to re-engage socially and be more embodied.
- She says these in-person rituals helped her see herself in the world instead of behind a laptop.
Unpredictability Is A Social Muscle
- Less exposure to unpredictability reduces our tolerance for uncontrollability in social settings.
- Jezer-Morton links overuse of frictionless tools to atrophy of social resilience.
