Frictionless and Forgettable: How Tech Undermines Friendship and Creativity

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PsyberSpace: Understand Your World

Leslie Poston

85 episodes

21 hours ago

If you've ever wondered what makes "reply guys" tick, why we fall for emotionally manipulative language in politics, why meetings suck, or how music can reshape your brain, we have the answers! Tune in to PsyberSpace™ every Monday morning and understand your world a little better each week. PsyberSpace explores the evolving landscape where psychology, media, culture, and digital technology converge. Each episode unpacks the impact of tech on our minds, our culture, our work, and our society. We explore pressing topics like the ethics of virtual spaces, misinformation and disinformation, media psychology and marketing, the psychology of business in the age of AI, the influence of social media on mental health, and the implications of digital trends for leaders and organizations. Join us as we provide insights for harnessing tech for positive change in personal lives and within the workplace.

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Social Sciences

Technology,

Science

Frictionless and Forgettable: How Tech Undermines Friendship and Creativity

PsyberSpace: Understand Your World

24 minutes

1 month ago

Frictionless and Forgettable: How Tech Undermines Friendship and Creativity

The Cost of Convenience: How Technology is Redefining Connection and Creativity

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston digs into the impact of technological convenience on our emotional and cognitive lives. Inspired by a conversation with Jason Miller, Leslie explores how platforms like Facebook and generative AI tools are stripping away meaningful friction from our interactions, creativity, and mental tasks, leading to reduced emotional investment and cognitive development. The episode discusses concepts like emotional labor, effort justification, intermittent reinforcement, and the importance of cognitive friction for real connection and growth. Leslie also addresses the balance between accessibility and meaningful challenge, urging listeners to choose their frictions wisely and remain intentional about the technologies they adopt.

00:00 Introduction and Inspiration
00:38 The Impact of Social Media on Friendships
02:48 Emotional Labor and Effort Justification
08:38 The Role of Friction in Creativity
14:31 The Downside of Frictionless Technology
18:52 Balancing Accessibility and Meaningful Engagement
21:05 Conclusion: Embracing Productive Friction

References

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Al-Zahrani, A.M. (2024) Balancing Act: Exploring the Interplay Between Human Judgement and Artificial Intelligence in Problem-Solving, Creativity, and Decision-Making. IgMin Research. 2(3): 145-158
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Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
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Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling. University of California Press.

Hochschild, A. R. (1983). The managed heart: Commercialization of human feeling.
Risko, E. F., & Gilbert, S. J. (2016). Cognitive offloading. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(9), 676–688.

Norman, D. A. (2007). The design of future things. Basic Books.
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Article in New Yorker on AI and Culture: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/01/ai-is-coming-for-culture

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