Ep. 365: What Technology Wants (and How to Push Back)

In this episode of Deep Questions, Cal Newport discusses the tension between additive and extractive technologies, using the evolution of Facebook as a prime example of a platform that shifted from providing value to extracting it from its users. He explains Cory Doctrow's concept of "enshittification," where digital platforms start as utopian spaces but gradually worsen as companies prioritize profits over user experience. Newport offers strategies to combat this, including periodic digital declutters, adopting better filter questions for new technologies, and joining the "attention resistance" by hacking existing tools to regain control. The episode also features listener questions on project management, balancing obsessions with productivity, and the influence of social circles on pursuing depth, along with a call about transitioning from a reactive environment to academia.