 |
|
|
|||||
A viral clip of a woman scrolling on a completely clear phone with no user interface briefly confusedand amusedthe internet. But the truth turned out to be far more literal than most expected. Originally posted to TikTok by user CatGPT, the video quickly racked up over 52.9 million views. In the comments, some speculated it was a Nokia model; others guessed it came from the Nickelodeon show Henry Danger. @askcatgpt Completely clear phone spotted in San Francisco on May 14?!? Wtf?????? Link in bio for more deets. (NOT SPONSORED) original sound – CatGPT This looks like a social commentary or a walking art exhibit. Im too uncultured to understand, one user commented. It’s from a Black Mirror episode, another wrote. Turns out, it was none of the above. Just a piece of plastic. The woman seen in line is also the one who uploaded the clip. In a follow-up video posted days later, she shared the true story. This is a Methaphone, she explains. It is exactly what it looks like, a clear piece of acrylic shaped like an iPhone. The “device” was invented by her friend as a response to phone addiction. He told me that what he wanted to test was, if were all so addicted to our phones, then could you potentially curb somebodys addiction by replacing the feeling of having a phone in your pocket with something that feels exactly the same? she continued. This little piece of acrylic feels like a physical artifact that directly responds to this collective tension we all feel about how our devices, which are meant to make us more connected, are actually having the exact opposite effect. A 2023 study by Reviews.org found that nearly 57% of Americans reported feeling addicted to their phones. Some admitted to checking their phones over 100 times a day, and 75% said they feel uneasy when they realize theyve left their phone at home. In the comments, many questioned whether pretending to scroll on a chunk of plastic could actually help with phone addiction. This sounds like [an] SNL sketch, one user wrote. What stage of capitalism is this? another asked. Some were simply disappointed it wasnt a real phone. Despite the skepticism, the Methaphone raised $1,100 on Indiegogo. The campaign has since closed, though the creator says more may be produced if demand is high. Priced at $20, with a neon pink version going for $25, the Methaphone looks like a simple acrylic slaband it is, the page reads. But it’s also a stand-in, a totem, and an alibi. It’s the first step on the road to freedom.
Category:
E-Commerce
Michael Long is not the typical neuroscience guy. He was trained as a physicist, but is primarily a writer. He coauthored the international bestseller The Molecule of More. As a speechwriter, he has written for members of Congress, cabinet secretaries, presidential candidates, and Fortune 10 CEOs. His screenplays have been performed on most New York stages. He teaches writing at Georgetown University. Whats the big idea? Dopamine is to blame for a lot of your misery. It compels us to endlessly chase more, better, and greatereven when our dreams have come true. Thanks to dopamine, we often feel restless and hopeless. So no, maybe its not quite accurate to call it the happiness molecule, but it has gifted humans some amazing powers. Dopamine is the source of imagination, creativity, and ingenuity. There are practical ways to harness the strengths of our dopamine drives while protecting and nurturing a life of consistent joy. Below, Michael shares five key insights from his new book, Taming the Molecule of More: A Step-by-Step Guide to Make Dopamine Work for You. Listen to the audio versionread by Michael himselfin the Next Big Idea App. 1. Dopamine is not the brain chemical that makes you happy. Dopamine makes you curious and imaginative. It can even make you successful, but a lot of times it just makes you miserable. Thats because dopamine motivates you to chase every new possibility, even if you already have everything you want. It turns out that brain evolution hasnt caught up with the evolution of the world. For early humans, dopamine ensured our survival by alerting us to anything new or unusual. In a world with danger around every corner and resources hard to acquire, we needed an early warning system to motivate us even more. Dopamine made us believe that once we got the thing we were chasing, wed be safer, happier, or more satisfied. That served humans well, until it didnt. Now that weve tamed the world, we dont need to explore every new thing, but dopamine is still on duty, and it works way out of proportion to the needs of the modern world. Since self-discipline has a short shelf life, I share proven techniques that dont rely on willpower alone. 2. Dopamine often promises more than reality can deliver. When we have problems obsessing with social media or the news, or when were doing excessive shopping, we feel edgy and restless. This is because dopamine floods us with anticipation and urgency. We desperately scroll for the next hit, searching for the latest story or watching the porch for that next Amazon package. As this anticipation becomes a normal way of living, the rest of life starts to feel dull and flat. That restarts the cycle of chasing what we think will make us happy. Then we get it, and when it doesnt make us happy, we experience a letdown, and that makes us restless all over again. Heres how that works for love and romance. When we go on date after date and cant find the right person, or a long-term relationship gets stale, we start to feel hopeless. The dopamine chase has so raised our expectations about reality that we no longer enjoy the ordinary. Now were expecting some perfect partner, and we wont find them because they dont exist. Fight back with three strategies: Rewire your habits to ditch the chase. Redirect your focus to the here and now. Rebuild meaning so life feels more like it matters. I describe specific ways to do this through simple planning, relying more on friendships, and doing a particular kind of personal assessment. And theres even a little technology involved that you wouldnt expect. 3. Dopamine is the source of imagination. The dopamine system has three circuits. The first has only a little to do with behavior and feeling, so well set that one aside. The second circuit (that early warning system) is called the desire dopamine system because it plays on our desires. The third system is very different. Its called the control system, and it gives us an ability straight out of science fiction: mental time travel. You can create in your mind any possible future in as much detail as you like and investigate the results without lifting a finger. We do this all the time without realizing thats what it is. Little things like figuring out where to go for lunch: We factor in traffic, how long well have to wait for a table and think over the menu, and game it all out to decide where to go. But this system also lets us imagine far more consequential mental time travel, figuring out the best way to build a building, design an engine, or travel to the moon. Dopamine really is the source of creativity and analytical power that allows us to create the future. The dopamine control circuit lets us think in abstractions and play out various plans using only our minds. That means not only can we imagine a particular future, but we can also imagine entire abstract disciplines, come to understand them, and make use of them in the real world based on what we thought about. Fields like chemistry, quantum mechanics, and number theory exist because of controlled dopamine. Dopamine really is the source of creativity and analytical power that allows us to create the future. Dopamine brings a lot of dissatisfaction to the modern world, but we wouldnt have the modern world without dopamine. 4. Youre missing out on the little things. When my best friend died at age 39, the speaker at his funeral said, You may not remember much of what you did with Kent, but its okay, because it happened. I did not know what that could mean, but years later, while writing this book, I got it. We dont live life just to look back on it. The here and now ought to be fun. You may not remember it all, but while its happening, enjoy it. That requires fighting back against dopamine because its always saying: Never mind whats in front of you; think about what might be. When Warren Zevon was at the end of his life, David Letterman asked him what hed learned. Warren said, Enjoy every sandwich. 5. A satisfying life requires meaning, and theres a practical way to find it. Even if you fix every dopamine-driven problem in your life, you may still feel like something is missing. To find a satisfying balance between working for the future and enjoying the here and now, we must choose a meaning for life and work toward it as we go. If youre making life better for others with something you do well and enjoy, the days feel brighter and life acquires purpose. Is it possible to live in the moment, anticipate the future, and have it add up to something? The psychiatrist Viktor Frankl said we need to look beyond ourelves, because thats where a sense of purpose begins. Aristotle gave us a simple formula for taking pleasure in the present, finding a healthy anticipation for the future, and creating meaning. He said its found where three things intersect: what we like to do, what were good at, and what builds up the world beyond ourselves. Things like working for justice, making good use of knowledge, or simply living a life of kindness and grace. What you do with your life doesnt have to set off fireworks, and you dont have to make history. You can be a plumber, a mail carrier, or an accountant. Im a writer. I like what I do. I seem to be pretty good at it, and it helps people. The same can be true if you repair the highway, fix cars, or serve lunch in a school cafeteria. If youre making life better for others with something you do well and enjoy, the days feel brighter and life acquires purpose. Life needs meaning, and thats the last piece of the puzzle in dealing with dopamine and taming the molecule of more. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
Category:
E-Commerce
Layoffs. Corporate restructuring. Leadership changes. New market strategy. Chances are that youll go through at least one significant company upheaval in your career (if not more than one). Employees are expected to adapt quickly, often with little support. While you may not be able to prevent internal changes, you can be preparedand protect yourself. Get clarification on your job responsibilities {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/workbetter-logo.png","headline":"Work Better","description":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn't suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more visit workbetter.media.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}} One of the biggest impacts on your day-to-day might be changes in your job responsibilities. As soon as possible, youll want to discuss any changes with your boss. Ask directly, Do I have any new responsibilities? and How will my performance be evaluated now? Get the information in writing, if you can, even if its just a follow-up email you send after a discussion with your boss that says: Based on our conversation, I understand that my role now includes X, Y, and Z. You dont want responsibility changes to be overlooked or misunderstood, and you dont want the changes to negatively impact promotions or future raises simply because no one fully understands your role. Provide regular updates to your boss about how youre handling your new responsibilities, and share any wins. Additionally, make sure your boss is aware of any concerns you may have. For example, you may not have been given proper training to make you successful with your new responsibilities. If something is unclear, raising concerns early shows you want to ensure youre meeting expectations. Know your boundaries Do more with less has become the default expectation. You might quickly find yourself overwhelmed if youre working with a smaller team, a smaller budget, or a major strategy pivot. Its much harder to set boundaries if you accept additional work initially and then try to walk it back later. When faced with upheaval and asked to do more, you can say, Yes, I can take this on. Which of my other responsibilities should I de-prioritize? You can also mentally set a boundary around the number of hours youre willing to work. If youre asked to go above that, its time to push back. You could say, Im at capacity this week. Can this wait until next week? Remember that loyalty is often not reciprocal Significant changes need clear direction. A companys leadership team should communicate why the changes were necessary and how the company expects to benefit. If that doesnt happen, its a red flag. The changes might result in more problemsor cant save the company from a downward spiral. Keep your guard up. Look for signs that the company might be in deeper trouble, such as undergoing frequent leadership turnover, having an unclear strategy, or experiencing a lack of communication. Change is hard and takes time to have an impact. But if it feels like things arent going well, keep your résumé updated and your LinkedIn profile polished. Make sure you have an exit plan, even if youre not ready to leave immediately. The company will always protect its interests first. You should do the same. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/workbetter-logo.png","headline":"Work Better","description":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn't suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more visit workbetter.media.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||