How new technology can change our emotional lives for the better

How new technology can change our emotional lives for the better

Author: Our Media July 17, 2026 Duration: 29:08
It’s clear to all of us that the rapid progress that technology has made over the last century or so has had profound impacts on almost every aspect of our lives. But often, the impact on our emotional well-being associated with these great changes is overlooked, or, if mentioned at all, portrayed in a largely negative light. Why is this? Is it simply down to our innate fear of the new or our natural tendency to see the downsides that accompany change? Could it be the case that this mode of thinking is leading us to miss the many ways in which new technology can help our emotional lives to flourish? In this episode, we’re joined by Pamela Pavliscak, a researcher and author whose work focusses on the intersection of technology and our emotions, to talk about her latest book, All the Feels – How Technology Can Change our Emotional Lives for the Better. She tells us how often the arguments surrounding issues such as screentime and its impact on our emotional lives are lacking in nuance, how the sharing of memes and gifs has given us a new means of expressing our many complicated emotions, and how the advent of AI chatbots is, more than ever, having profound effects on the way we emotionally engage with technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Curiosity doesn't have to be a deep dive; sometimes, you just want a clear, smart answer. That's the idea behind Instant Genius, a production from Our Media that brings the editorial expertise of BBC Science Focus Magazine into audio form. Each episode is a compact conversation with a leading researcher, scientist, or technologist, designed to unpack a complex topic in a single sitting. You might explore the mechanics of memory one day and the engineering behind quantum computers the next, all within the same accessible format. This podcast operates on the belief that profound understanding doesn't require hours of your time. Released every Monday and Friday, these bite-sized masterclasses are perfect for a commute or a coffee break, turning spare moments into genuine learning. The discussions are focused and surprisingly thorough, moving from fundamental principles to cutting-edge implications without getting lost in jargon. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered about the science of sleep, the truth about nutrition trends, or how black holes actually work, and wanted a reliable source to explain it clearly. Tuning into this podcast means getting a direct line to experts who are shaping our understanding of the world, all structured to deliver insight efficiently. The range is deliberately broad, spanning health, cosmology, technology, and everyday science, reflecting the endless questions a curious mind can hold.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Instant Genius
Podcast Episodes
Why the liver is the body’s most misunderstood organ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:36
Most of us think about the liver as simply being the body’s filtration system that acts as a sponge that removes toxins from our bloodstreams. But the truth is it performs many more functions that are vital for our healt…
Why this common women’s health condition is so misunderstood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:12
Despite affecting as many as 80 per cent of women by the age of 50, fibroids, lumps of tissue that grow in or around the womb, are not commonly discussed outside of specialist doctors’ offices. However, they can cause a…
The miraculous healing ability of our brains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:35
It was previously thought that once our brains suffer an injury due to stroke or trauma, the potential for recovery was severely limited. But recent developments in medicine have proven that this isn’t the case; our brai…
How parasites play a vital role as caretakers of Earth’s ecosystems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:50
When most of us think of parasites, our minds will likely turn to thoughts of the various icky creatures that can invade our bodies, make their homes there and end up making us ill. But the truth is that parasites make u…
How to keep your body younger for longer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:09
When it comes to the effects of ageing on our bodies, there are many more factors at play than simply the number of years we’ve been alive. It turns out, that for some people, there is a huge gap between their chronologi…
Why wasps are one of the planet’s most misunderstood insects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
The truth is, when most of us think of wasps, our minds will likely go to memories of irritating winged pests landing in our drinks when we’re trying to have a nice summer picnic or perhaps one of the times we got a nast…
Why you probably don’t need to be taking dietary supplements [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:21
These days the supplement industry is booming – supermarket shelves are stacked high with all manner of pills and powders claiming to do everything from helping us to live longer or improving our digestive health to boos…
Why this tiny organism is essential for the health of the planet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:01
Although it often goes unnoticed, plankton is the most abundant form of life in Earth’s oceans, making up 95 per cent of all oceanic biomass. These tiny organisms are responsible for generating around half of the planet’…
What happens in our bodies when our hormones misfire [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:24
Every minute of every day, our bodies are flooded with a complex web of hormones – chemical messengers that travel through the bloodstream, coordinating everything from our blood pressure, body temperature, metabolic rat…
What we can learn about parenting from the animal kingdom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:59
Becoming a parent is undoubtedly one of the biggest events that can occur in any of our lifetimes – suddenly we have a tiny living being to take care of that demands the majority of our thoughts, time and attention. Of c…