While many tech futurists argue for humans merging with machines as a utopian vision of the future, Amber Case has a more critical point of view — studying the ways in which human-machine interactions can be unproductive, unhealthy, or harmful.
She examines how the incentives of technology companies are to hijack our attention rather than provide a public utility, and explores notification fatigue — being connected during all waking hours has set unrealistic expectations to always be available, overwhelming willpower and decreasing focus.
Amber also discusses attempts to make technology interactions more human-like through “natural gestures,” and why this often backfires compared to unambiguous inputs like physical buttons.
Her book Calm Technology proposes that technology should integrate into our lives seamlessly and run quietly in the background rather than demanding constant attention.