Techno Sapiens

Hello, sapiens! Today we’ve got a short essay featuring some of my recent musings on AI. As it so happens, this week Substack also announced its new “AI detection tool,” which allows you to scan any post (using, um, AI) for evidence that AI was used to write it. Here, for example, is what it looks like for this post: Substack also now gives writers the option to create a “How I make this” statement.

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor, and mom of three who feels especially human when reflecting on her children’s dinners over the past week. (How many chicken fingers are, actually, too many? Definitely not going to ask AI to answer that.)1 6 min read If you’re here at Techno Sapiens, my guess is that you have spent at least a little bit of time thinking about how to raise kids in the age of AI.

4 min read Hi there, sapiens! How’s your summer going? Here at Techno Sapiens HQ we’re in the midst of a superhero-themed birthday week (month) for my now 5-year-old. We’re talking: superhero costumes, cake, balloons, napkins, temporary tattoos, coloring books, pajamas, shoes, and, of course, this “banner backdrop” I panic-ordered at midnight when I became convinced we didn’t have enough superhero accoutrements. It’s now hanging in our living room. Ah, the joys of parenting.

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor, and mom of three who, thanks to our sponsors at Light, is embracing a dumbphone summer! [But also, keeping my smartphone for emergencies 🙃]. 6 min read For most of high school, I had a flip phone.

It’s summer! I hope you are spending lots of time enjoying the sunshine, going for walks, and, of course, on the phone with your pediatrician begging them to expedite your children’s camp health forms, or in your bedroom, door closed, hiding from your children as you try to send an email. In addition to those things, I’ve been doing my usual: reading studies, talking about research, and watching and listening to all things psychology-related.

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor, and mom of three whose latest “tech panic” involved sending an email on 2% laptop battery. Phew! What a rush! 5 min read Let’s play a quick game. I am going to describe a technology, and you tell me what it is. Kids are spending hours on this technology every day. A study of hundreds of 6- to 16-year-olds in the Journal of Pediatrics finds that many are addicted to it.

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor, and mom of three. Can you believe that since last time, we got Team USA soccer, the Knicks,1and a new report on kids and AI?! What a week! 7 min read Have you ever had the experience of eating outside, maybe at the beach, or in the park, and you get all settled, pull your sandwich out, prepare to take a nice, big bite—and then your napkin starts to blow away? And you try to grab it, but you just miss it?

Welcome to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor, and mom of three whose “personal utility function” is comprised mostly of: chubby baby hands, this newsletter, and many, many large iced coffees. 6 min read I will admit: for most of my life, I didn’t spend my day-to-day considering the principles of economics. I would guess that you, too, do not generally ponder utility functions while doing the dishes or consumption smoothing while ordering groceries.

Are we doomed? Welcome back to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor at Brown, and mom of three. Before we dive in, an announcement! This Thursday, June 4th at 4pm ET I’ll be having a live conversation and Q&A with Jay Van Bavel tackling the big question: “Is a digital detox really worth it? What tech is doing to our relationships and mental health.” All subscribers are invited! Jay is an award-winning author, social psychologist, and professor at NYU.

New Surgeon General's advisory: The good, the bad, and the weird Welcome back to Techno Sapiens! I’m Jacqueline Nesi, a psychologist, professor at Brown, and mom of three. This post is about the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on screen time that came out last week. The substantive analysis is available to everyone. Below the paywall, you’ll find additional musings about some parts of the report that I found puzzling.