Common Sense and the Center for Humane Technology today announced a new campaign, “Truth about Tech”, in an effort to protect young minds against digital manipulation and addiction.
The campaign aims to inform consumers on the potential harmful impacts that stem from the tech industry, which include attention disorders, depression and a misconstrued sense of culture, and educate them with ‘A Road Map for Kids’ Digital Well-Being’.
Tech insiders Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist, and Roger McNamee, former Facebook investor and adviser are both backing the campaign.
“The most powerful tech companies in the world are making deliberate decisions that do great harm,” said Harris.
“They’ve created the attention economy and are now engaged in a full-blown arms race to capture and retain human attention, including the attention of kids.”
James P. Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense, believes that the tech-industry’s business models often encourage them to do whatever they can to grab attention and data and then to worry about the consequences later, even though they may hurt the “social, emotional, and cognitive development of kids.”
“It’s time to hold tech companies accountable for their efforts designed to target and manipulate young people,” he said.
“When parents learn how these companies can take advantage of our kids, they will join us in demanding the industry change its ways and improve certain practices.”
Common Sense will also work with the Center for Humane Technology to develop Standards of Ethical Design for the industry to prevent and discourage digital addiction, and pursue an aggressive policy agenda for regulation of tech companies that are using manipulative practices on consumers.
