Who’s Driving: You or the Algorithm?
- Alison Nissen
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
As a professor in the early 2000s, I recall colleagues proudly proclaiming that eBooks would never (I mean NEVER) be allowed in their classrooms. Fast forward to 2023, we heard the same things about AI. Three short years later, and those comments have scattered like the feathers from a pillow fight.
Over the past twenty years, new tools and platforms have become embedded in how we communicate, learn, and work (hello ChatGPT!). This isn’t about technology, it’s about critical thinking: our ability to pause, question, and choose how we engage rather than simply react.
From the education front, the conversation around digital platforms tends to swing between two extremes: embrace every new tool or resist at all costs.
These responses are driven by reaction rather than intentional curiosity. Reactions are passive, they happen without reflection or the emotional tools to understand how to respond. Curiosity, on the other hand, is active and asks us to step back, evaluate what matters, and engage with purpose.
Our response to digital tools should not be whether they are good or bad, but what is driving our relationship with them: fear or curiosity?
Fear as a Decision-Maker
Unfortunately, fear becomes the default when curiosity is absent.
Some people worry that if they don’t keep up with new tools, they will be left behind. The result is overadoption and technology overwhelm.
Others believe that 24/7 connectivity will result in a loss of privacy, ethics, and even friendships.
Both responses are reactive, shaped not by reason, but by fear.
Intentionality starts with purpose. It invites a different question: What value does this technology actually bring to my life?
Computer science professor and author Cal Newport, known for his work on focus and digital habits, points out that when people adopt new tools simply because they are available, they ignore priorities. Chasing a shiny penny, it seems, distracts us from “what matters most” (2019). In practice, this means choosing tools that serve a clear purpose rather than adopting them simply because they are new or widely used.
Instead, Newport suggests that we keep life simple by focusing on value. This shift reframes our technology relationship. Technology, then, becomes something we select with clarity, aligned to how we want to live and work.
When our intentions are purposeful, not only are our fears assuaged, but we also avoid the emotional pitfalls of technology.
The Emotional Toll of Technology
In a recent Above Center® Leadership Podcast episode, guest Georgia Groc, a transformation leader at U.S. Bank, describes what it means to lead with clarity in a fast-changing world, especially when technology stirs both possibility and fear.
If our engagement with technology is emotional, she proposes, our decisions tend to follow whatever we’re feeling in the moment.
Over time, Georgia suggests, these small tugs create a pattern. As she explains, “A feeling can turn into a mood, a mood can then turn into a personality.”
If we’re not paying attention, these tugs pull us in an unintended direction. Without intentionality, repeated emotional reactions can start to shape who we become. And over time, those patterns shape how we think. Without critical thinking, emotion becomes direction, and direction, if unchecked, becomes habit.
That is why purpose matters. The goal isn’t to resist technology, but to engage it thoughtfully.
When we respond with purpose, we begin to drive the technology in our lives.
Small Decisions Shape Direction
The question is not whether technology will continue to evolve. It will. The question is whether we will remain thoughtful about how it fits into our lives.
Instead of asking whether technology is good or bad, a more productive question might be this:
What is driving your relationship with technology? Algorithms are designed to predict and respond to behavior; critical thinking allows us to interrupt that cycle and decide for ourselves. If it’s fear of missing out or fear of loss, it’s time to reevaluate your priorities.
If our habits are designed around what we value most, we avoid drifting along with whatever tool or platform happens to demand attention next.
Technology will continue to grow more powerful and more present in our daily lives. But the direction of our thinking, relationships, and priorities will still be shaped by something more precise than any algorithm. Our choices.
With each purposeful choice we make, we stay ahead of the algorithm, one decision at a time.
In this way, critical thinking becomes the foundation for intentional living, not just in the classroom, but in every space where technology meets decision-making.
As I prepare for future semesters, I’m no longer asking if technology is robbing our students of what education offers. Instead, I’m asking how to help them make choices that reflect their priorities, relationships, and critical thinking.
References
Newport, C. (2019). Digital minimalism: Choosing a focused life in a noisy world. Portfolio.
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About the author: As the co-founder and Chief Storytelling Officer of Revel Coach, a career growth platform, Alison Nissen helps leaders perfect their business pitches and online presence through storytelling. Successful executives use key storytelling points to engage their audience and gain market share because they know good storytelling is the best form of marketing, recruiting, and fundraising. Write Your Book NOW! Mastermind enrolling now.
The Revel Coach™ Blog is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not mental health, financial, business or legal advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, heal, cure or prevent any medical, mental or emotional condition. The information presented here is not a guarantee that you will obtain any results or earn any money using our content.
