Digital Digest August 4th 2017
The first themed edition… all about our beloved Smartphones
1. Big News

The kids are not alright
With the 10th anniversary of the iPhone coming up, there have been a series of reflective pieces on how that single piece of technology changed our world. Many focus on the generation born after 1995 who only know smartphone life (a cohort they’re calling “iGen”). I think the title of FastCo’s interview with Tony Fadell, (one of the principal creators of the iPod + iPhone) expresses the general sentiment nicely: “I Wake Up In Cold Sweats Thinking, What Did We Bring To The World?”
A deeper dive by the Atlantic paints an even bleaker picture: the iPhone generation is less independent, more lonely and more depressed than previous…and all of these factors map back to smartphone & social media use.
By the Numbers
- Friendship: the number of teens who get together with their friends nearly every day dropped by more than 40% from 2000 to 2015.
- Courtship: in 2015 only 56% of high school seniors went out on a date vs. 85% for Boomers and Gen Xers.
- Happiness: 8th graders who are heavy users of social media increase their risk of depression by 27%. More startling, teens who spend 3+ hours a day electronic devices are 35% more likely to have a risk factor for suicide.
- The article goes into deep detail on the how & why. A great read (on Pocket) if you are able.
Daniel’s .000007 BTC
- We’ve spent the last 10 years engineering “stickiness” into our interactive technology.
- Now it’s time to bring ethics into the conversation.
2. I wish I thought of that

Light Phone is the anti-smartphone designed to be used as little as possible. It makes and receives calls using your existing phone number…and nothing else. It’s not supposed to replace your pocket supercomputer, it’s just an option for the times you want to be more present while still accessible.
3. Tool of the Week

Gazelle makes selling your used electronics easy. Just select your device and rate its condition — they’ll give you a guaranteed price and fire off a prepaid box for you to mail it back. No more dealing with dodgy Craigslisters…
4. Startup Radar

Yondr is an easy solution to create “phone free zones.” (usecase: schools, concerts, a Dave Chappelle comedy show, etc.) They provide locking pouches to render devices inaccessible while still in someone’s possession. Need to selfie, Insta, Snapchat, Uber? Do it from the lobby.
5. From the Archives

The AT&T “You Will” campaign from 1993 is amazing to watch nearly 25 years later. They imagined a pretty accurate future (although they vastly overstated their role in creating it). My all time fav prediction: “One day you’ll be able to send a fax from the beach.”
