Ever feel like your digital life has turned into a mind-bending simulation? This week on FOMO Sapiens, Patrick McGinnis sits down with Hannah Koizumi and Hugh Jones, co-founders of Drumbeat Labs and the nonprofit Civic Attention, to dissect how today’s online platforms hijack our attention and warp our sense of reality.
Hannah, a data scientist and civic organizer, and Hugh, a self-taught developer and digital strategist, break down the evolution from genuine social connection to endless scrolling, the addictive dopamine loops baked into every feed, and how AI is amplifying it all.
Drawing on their own experiences and fresh polling, they reveal why growing up in this system is fueling anxiety and civic disintegration, and what we can do about it. Tune in for real-world strategies: how to add friction to your feeds, choose healthier online spaces, and build deeper offline connections without going full “Luddite.” If you’ve ever scrolled yourself into a stupor and wondered how to snap out of it, this episode is your antidote.
Hannah Koizumi is a data scientist and civic organizer whose work spans public policy and youth engagement initiatives at places like UVA, DoSomething.org, and the Leadership Now Project. She’s passionate about protecting democracy by helping people understand and resist the digital forces draining our attention.
Hugh Jones is a self-taught developer with a background in political and social thought. He has led digital strategy at Welcome Pack and explored AI ethics at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. Together with Hannah, he co-founded Civic Attention to rebuild healthier online and offline civic spaces for the next generation.
For media and speaking requests, and to suggest a guest for the show, please email letsconnect@patrickmcginnis.com.
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