Targeted ads and media content are convenient for users and efficient for businesses, but films like Netflix’s The Social Dilemma have raised serious questions about what they're doing to us culturally. The film argues that targeting contributes to an epidemic of division in our society, allowing everyone to live in an echo chamber of their own opinions, stifling empathy and growth. But in this episode, Daniel explains that there are plenty of benefits to targeted content; if we’re more thoughtful about curating our feeds to show us a wide variety of perspectives, and businesses are transparent about when they use targeting to find customers or clients, we can reap those benefits without feeling manipulated or controlled by algorithms. And that’s a win-win for everyone.

Resources cited in this episode include focus apps like Flipd and Forest, browser extension DuckDuckGo, and digital wellness movement Brick.

Brick - Digital wellness movement founded by Tommy Sobel: https://gobricknow.com/

Flipd - hides your apps for a set period of time: http://www.flipdapp.co/flipd-making-productivity-social

Forest - a forest grows while you work, but dies if you leave the app before your set time: https://www.forestapp.cc/

DuckDuckGo - a search engine that doesn’t store your information while you browse: https://duckduckgo.com/