Mind, Machine, and Meaning: Living Intentionally in the Digital Age
This course starts with a hard look at data on screen time and social media use. We examine the science of digital addiction and the impact of overuse on life quality, cognitive function, social connection, and mental health. We then explore The Attention Economy—tech giants' business models and their cultural impacts. The course defines a path to living more intentionally with technology. We review strategies to enhance focus, optimize consumption, boost creativity, improve sleep, and calibrate identity amid online comparisons. We conclude by critically addressing the AI revolution. Students will learn how to remain competitive and leverage AI to be more productive and also focus on preserving your agency and judgment.
Topics
- This course is designed to teach critical thinking, moral reasoning, and behavioral science literacy under the umbrella of digital well-being. It is also built around sustained behavioral change and crafted to help you create a healthy, sustainable relationship with technology. If you put in the requisite effort, you will leave with a permanent foundation of new habits around tech use, AI, focus, productivity, and social connection, along with a personalized set of strategies to better manage the increasing demands you will likely experience in life. Please be prepared to make adjustments to your daily life, your relationship with technology, and experience occasional (and safe) discomfort…this is the point! We anticipate that the applied nature of the course and the accountability measures we have put in place will make it substantially easier to make desired life and habit adjustments than if you were to attempt to make the same changes on your own.
- Understand the basic mechanisms of addiction in the human brain and how those manifest in various kinds of digital addiction. Evaluate their own screen time data and usage patterns, and identify adjustments that they can make to improve their relationship with technology. Understand the principles of biology and cognitive science that govern how to effectively work, study, rest, and sleep for enhanced productivity and well-being. Feel confident in their ability to apply AI intentionally to their academic and personal pursuits, and have a coherent philosophy of responsible AI use.
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027