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Can we live well with technology?

Have you ever found yourself checking your phone without knowing why? Or losing your cool during an online argument? Online products are designed to draw people back as often as possible, but designs to maximize engagement and information disclosure are not always aligned with human wellbeing. The User Empowerment Lab examines the way popular technologies manufacture distraction, compulsion, outrage, information overload, lack of privacy, and an inability to connect with others. And we create proof-of-concept systems to demonstrate how designers could, instead, be building systems that enable a meaningful life.

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