Digital Neuroscience 101 and the Importance of Empathy in Digital Experience Design

“Technology is Making our Kids Stupid”, “We Now Have the Attention Spans of Goldfish”, “Mental Health Epidemic Caused by Social Media”, “Digital Platforms Cause Loneliness”, “Children as Young as Seven are Sexting”. These are familiar if rather sensationalist headlines. The media and researchers alike often adopt a negative rhetoric associated with digital device use, with particular focus on younger generations.

In this session:

  • We’ll explore how digital device use can affect the brain – and subsequently how this causes behavioural change
  • We’ll consider whether the messages we see in the press are founded and what this means to us as professionals in the education sector
  • We’ll discuss the importance of empathy in our systems, experience and cultural design, but also in taking responsibility for the impacts of the technological products and the experiences we design and develop

Birmingham Tech Week is run in association with:

Speakers

Rachel Drinkwater
Senior Business Analyst (Digital Teaching & Learning)

Our headline sponsor

NatWest is the UK’s biggest supporter of SMEs, and as part of this we are committed to removing barriers and providing more opportunities to help companies grow. Our services include traditional bank lending, bespoke support for entrepreneurs, and working with a range of partners across sectors to ensure businesses thrive.

Enterprise is central to our purpose-led strategy, and we have developed a range of programmes to enable business owners to succeed. We have over 500 accredited Women in Business specialists across the UK and have supported more than 19,000 entrepreneurs through our Business Builder and Accelerator programme. Our Dream Bigger initiative has been created to encourage young women in UK secondary schools to consider STEM subjects and Entrepreneurship as a career option.

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