El Podcast

E99: Tech-Savvy or Tech-Slave? The Extinction of Experience: Author Christine Rosen

Episode Summary

In this insightful episode, Christine Rosen, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a renowned author, delves into her latest book 'The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.' Christine discusses the implications of using sensor technology to monitor employee wellness, the troubling impacts of apps like Moody's that analyze emotions, and broader concerns about outsourcing basic human skills to technology. The conversation highlights the importance of privacy, the human need for unmediated experiences, and the ethical dilemmas posed by advanced tech. Drawing on personal anecdotes and extensive research, Christine advocates for a more mindful approach to integrating technology into our lives, emphasizing the need for human interaction and the preservation of private spaces.

Episode Notes

Christine Rosen discusses her book The Extinction of Experience, warning against the societal costs of technological overreach, constant surveillance, and the erosion of human judgment and private life.

Guest bio: Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a contributing editor at Commentary magazine, co-host of the Commentary podcast, and a fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. She is the author of several books, most recently The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.

Topics covered:

• Workplace surveillance and emotion-tracking apps
• The illusion of AI emotional intelligence (e.g., “Moody” app misreading Hitler speech)
• The ethical implications of outsourcing judgment to technology
• Tech’s impact on relationships, parenting, and education
• Social media, teenage mental health, and gender differences in screen use
• Elite technologists limiting their own children’s screen exposure
• Analog resistance: rituals, habits, and reclaiming human experiences
• Gen Z workplace struggles, desocialization, and the myth of “digital natives”
• AI hype vs. human skills and personal responsibility
• Policy solutions: regulation, parental accountability, and civic engagement

Misc info related to this podcast:

• Christine has twin sons in college and shared her personal experience with raising them screen-light.
• She critiques the techno-elite's hypocrisy—profiting from tech while shielding their families from it.
• Encourages a “day without the phone” experiment to rediscover human presence and attention.
• Closing note: technology should serve human flourishing—not replace or monitor it.

📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/f-1WcPg61_s