Last week I stumbled across a TEDx talk making the rounds on LinkedIn and Bluesky titled Tech Promised Everything. Did It Deliver? by Scott Hanselman.

With humor and a bit of nostalgia, Hanselman revisits the promises tech made us: real connection, more convenience, and boundless creativity.

So… did it deliver?

On Connection

We were promised real human connection. Instead, we got isolation.

In 1980, only 1% of Americans said they had no close friends. Today? 17%.

We’ve lost our “third places”, the spaces where community thrived.

In the early days, the internet was that third place: a space for sharing and belonging. Now it’s a series of walled gardens, curated by billionaires and algorithms designed to make you feel less than.

On Convenience

We wanted instant answers. What we got was infinite scrolling.

Humans weren’t built for a world of infinite information, we evolved for scarcity. Linda Stone coined the term continuous partial attention to describe how tech constantly pulls us in multiple directions.

The internet lets you work anywhere, so now… you work everywhere. The “right to disconnect” is more than a workplace perk, it’s a right to peace.

On Creativity

Tech and AI promised to unleash our creativity and give is Friday off. Instead, we face algorithmic control and the devaluation of human art.

That doesn’t mean AI is the villain; it can still enable new possibilities. But we have to stay intentional, using it in ways that maintain connection and humanity.

Reclaiming Agency

Hanselman’s advice is simple:

• Put down the !@#$ phone. Seek real human interaction.

• Set boundaries. Protect your right to disconnect.

• Support human artists.

• Learn how tech works beneath the hype. Choose consciously what you bring into your lives.

And he leaves us with the question:

“Are these tools going to change us, or are we going to change the world with them?”

Years ago, I made the conscious decision to turn off all social media notifications. And lately, after 6 years of remote work, and the last 3 as a solo developer, I’ve been making a point to get out from behind the screen: attending conferences, making connections and reclaiming that sense of community.

It has not only been a breath of fresh air after years of Slack pings, Teams alerts, and back-to-back Zoom calls, but one of the best decisions I’ve made.

🎥 Watch the full talk: Tech Promised Everything. Did It Deliver?

If you have suggestions for interesting videos or articles I should cover, send them my way.

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