How did the internet giants come to dominate our world?
Big Tech firms are now some of the richest and most powerful entities on the planet – and we’re starting to see the effects of this extreme concentration of power, in the nefarious ways these platforms have been used to manipulate our elections, violate our privacy, and threaten the social fabric of our societies.
But it hasn’t always been like this: not so long ago, much of Silicon Valley operated on an optimistic, altruistic ethos, aiming to make information free and the world better connected. What happened?
In the latest RSA Short, economic analyst Rana Foroohar explores how Big Tech lost its soul and how we might protect ourselves from the darker sides of digital technology.
Speaker: Rana Foroohar
Direction, Animation & Design: Thomas Kilburn
Producer: Phoebe Williams
Video Producer: Ross Henbest
Joint Head of Public Events Programme: Mairi Ryan
Sound: Kinima Sound
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy explains how we can get better at spotting loneliness in others and the steps we can take to build a more connected society and life.
In this thought-provoking new RSA Short, tech ethicist James Williams warns that digital distraction is no longer just a minor annoyance but a real and present threat to human freedom and autonomy.
This animation shines a light on those quirks of our psychology that make it hard to change our (and other people’s!) behaviour. Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin explains the four personality ‘tendencies’ and their respective strengths and weaknesses.
