How do our everyday digital traces—social posts, check-ins, photos—shape our identities, relationships, and the very nature of privacy in a hyper-connected world?

Kate O’Neill sits down with Lee Humphreys, professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Cornell University and author of The Qualified Self: Social Media and the Accounting of Everyday Life. The conversation explores the rich history and surprising continuity of documenting daily life, from centuries-old diaries and photo albums to today’s social media and sensor-driven platforms.

Topics Covered:

• The history and meaning of phatic communication
• Social media as an extension of historical practices (diaries, notebooks, albums)
• Privacy, data, and the networked self
• The context collapse of online identities
• Location-based sharing and identity work
• Algorithmic identities and platform agency
• The impact of digital spaces on rituals and remote work
• Policy, power, and responsibility in platform design
• Hopeful uses of technology to build community

Connect with Lee Humphreys
Cornell Website
LinkedIn
”The Qualified Self – Social Media and the Accounting of Everyday Life”

Episode Chapters:

00:04 Introduction to the Tech Humanist Show & guest
00:17 The concept of phatic communication
02:27 Lee’s route into communication technology
04:42 From photo manipulation to tech distrust
06:00 Diaries, Twitter, and the origins of media accounting
12:10 Social reinforcement vs. narcissism in social media
13:33 Location sharing and its role in identity
16:35 Parasocial relationships and context collapse
19:53 Data, experience, and mismatched realities
22:33 The shifting meaning of place and time in data
24:31 Networked privacy and the collective dimension
27:39 Incentives, policy, and platform accountability
30:01 Algorithmic identity and the “qualified self”
35:26 Digital rituals, remote work, and connection
40:31 Closing thoughts: technology, humanity, and hope
41:04 Lee’s story of hope and innovation through tech
42:58 Episode wrap-up and thanks

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, the nation faces unprecedented challenges: political polarization, economic insecurity, climate change, and the complex influence of technology and AI. How can America rethink its long-term strategy—and rebuild trust—at this historic crossroads?

Host Kate O’Neill is joined by strategist and author Patrick Doherty, co-author of “The New Grand Strategy,” and Brandyn Keating, founder of YOUnify and an expert in repairing civic trust. Together, they explore:

• America’s 250th anniversary and its significance
• The meaning and practice of grand strategy
• Historical context: past U.S. grand strategies
• Infrastructure and systems for the 21st century
• The erosion of trust and polarization
• Aligning economic engines, governance, and foreign policy
• The consequences of strategic incoherence
• Data, AI, and information environments
• Remedies for polarization and rebuilding trust
• Thriving conversations framework
• Bridging grassroots and national strategy
• The Global Flourishing Goals and Write the Future campaign
• Hopes for America’s future

Connect with: Patrick Doherty
The Center for the Constitution & Grand Strategy: https://ccgstrategy.org/
Long Haul Capital: https://www.longhaulcapital.com/team
X: @PatrickCDoherty
LinkedIn
The New Grand Strategy: Restoring America’s Prosperity, Security, and Sustainability in the 21st Century

Connect with Brandyn Keating
YOUnify: https://www.younify.org/
LinkedIn

Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Setting the Stage: America at 250
00:04 Grand Strategy Explainer with Patrick Doherty
00:46 Infrastructure, Generational Planning, and Lessons from Eisenhower
01:46 Trust, Polarization & the Grassroots Perspective with Brandyn Keating
03:38 Linking Grand Strategy to Community & Trust
05:04 Coherence Gaps and Economic Realities
09:38 Political Consequences & Declining Trust
13:00 Strategic Risks When Citizens Lose Faith
16:12 Remedies: Information Environments & Offline Connection
18:35 The Dilemma of Celebrating vs. Critiquing America
21:05 Overcoming Binary Thinking & Building Shared Values
24:04 Policy, Thriving Conversations & Bridging Local to National
29:05 Making Grand Strategy Inclusive
34:32 Global Flourishing Goals & Write the Future
38:01 Parallels to Tech Humanism & Organizational Strategy
39:06 Hopes for America’s Next 250 Years
44:05 Connect with the Guests & Closing Remarks

Are our emotions shaped—and even expanded—by technology, or are we just becoming more disconnected and manipulated online?

Dive into this episode as Kate O’Neill and Pamela Pavliscak explore the complicated emotional landscape of the digital world and what it truly means to “stay human.”

Topics Covered

• How technology mediates and shapes emotions
• The evolution from tech optimism to algorithmic influence
• Common myths about screen time and digital well-being
• How emotional metrics differ from traditional digital metrics
• Shame, AI use, and the pressure to behave perfectly online
• New “neo emotions” and expanding emotional vocabularies
• The algorithmic amplification of outrage
• Persuasion vs. manipulation in emotional design
• Emotional externalities and digital ethics
• Future guardrails for emotionally-aware AI
• Human inventiveness in tech-mediated relationships
• Finding hope and vitality in the digital age

Connect with: Pamela Pavliscak
Pamela Pavliscak on LinkedIn
All the Feels: How to Stay Human in the Digital World
Instagram (@pamelapavliscak)
Substack https://feelingdigital.substack.com/

Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction & Heart of the Conversation
01:40 What is the Future of Feelings in Technology?
02:25 Why Emotions Matter in Design
04:43 A Butterfly Story: Tech & Personal Grief
05:17 Early Tech Optimism vs Today’s Realities
07:39 Debunking Myths About “Screen Time”
10:00 Diaries and Meaningful Online Experiences
12:55 Metrics Beyond Time: How to ‘Measure’ Digital Well-Being
14:46 Shame, AI, and Tech Purity Culture
18:04 Individual Responsibility vs Systemic Change
20:17 Living in a Tech Ecosystem: What Do We Do Now?
20:33 Emotional Life on the Internet vs. Emotional Life with AI
24:17 Navigating Social Norms with Generative AI
28:41 Are Neo Emotions Expanding Our Feelings?
36:37 Why Does Outrage Rule the Internet?
39:09 Persuasion vs. Manipulation in Emotional Interfaces
42:28 Should Tech Be Accountable for Emotional Harm?
45:00 Needed: Guardrails for Emotionally-Aware AI
49:35 Staying Hopeful & Staying Human
51:36 Outro & Where to Find the Book