Book Review: ‘Digital Wellbeing,' Redefining Our Relationship With Tech
While Krause's degree is in art, not technology, she has considerable practical experience as a programmer. Today, Krause is an immersive experience designer and an instructor at Stanford. She brings a scholar's curiosity and a storyteller's sensibility to the subject. Her point is that the future of well-being is inseparable from our relationship with technology, and our success in navigating it depends on reframing that relationship as one of possibility rather than fear.
Across 11 chapters and a series of creative frameworks, including her 'Imagination Index' and 'Presence Pyramid,' Krause guides readers through the layered dimensions of digital life, exploring spatial computing and AI to immersive experiences, music, movement, and mindfulness. 'Digital is a conduit,' she writes. 'The human-to-human, and human-to-nature, and essentially human-to-epiphany/wonder/awe/flow can be mediated by technology.'
The book's middle chapters, particularly 7 and 8, are the heart of the story, where Krause explores how XR, gaming, and immersive storytelling can become powerful conduits for self-discovery and connection. Chapter 7 addresses for designers what strategies can be used in creating digital experiences to unlock curiosity, wonder and transformation. In chapter 8, she writes the playbook for the potential of immersive technologies to unlock emotional states which are conducive to awe. There's also a bonus interlude here from Rodney Mullen about somatics and spatial XR. As an artist, she is more interested in the design and purpose of tech, beyond its construction. Her concern is the why behind our digital behaviors. What experiences bring awe? What tools invite presence rather than distraction? Her approach is refreshingly participatory. 'To design for wonder, you need to live wonder as a key ingredient,' she notes. 'This is not about paint-by-number and forced outcomes.'
Throughout, Krause's voice is personal and invitational. She invites readers to recall moments of awe, to reflect, to pause. The book is organized as a kind of 'necklace,' each chapter a bead that can stand alone or link into a larger narrative. She rejects formulaic solutions, emphasizing that digital wellbeing must be self-defined, embodied, and open to constant reappraisal. This openness is the book's central motif. 'We're establishing new metrics,' she writes, 'new KPIs for what it means to thrive… There is a possibility for wholeness and freedom.'
For leaders, educators, and creatives looking to integrate AI and spatial computing while embracing their humanity, Digital Wellbeing offers a valuable roadmap.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cameron Brink Stuns With Her Outfit in First Sparks Game After 407-Day Absence
Cameron Brink Stuns With Her Outfit in First Sparks Game After 407-Day Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been over a year since Cameron Brink last took the court. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old will finally make her long-awaited return to action for the Los Angeles Sparks as she suits up against the Las Vegas Aces. Cameron Brink Slays With Her Pregame Outfit All eyes were on Brink as she headed into Arena for her first game in 13 months. The former Stanford star went for a sleek all-black ensemble in her comeback. Brink wore a cropped black blazer that featured a deep V neckline. She paired it with a high-waisted black midi skirt and classic black pointed-toe heels. The 6-foot-4 forward accessorized with a black clutch bag with a ruched texture, while wearing her golden blonde locks in a long, sleek braid. Brink was certainly dressed to impress for the special occasion. Cameron Brink Returns From an ACL Injury The last time Brink played in a WNBA game was on June 18, 2024, against the Connecticut Sun. However, she was forced to exit the contest after just four minutes after suffering what was later diagnosed as a torn ACL. Brink had to undergo surgery to address the injury, which required a lengthy road to recovery. She ended her rookie year with averages of 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. The Sparks have been very cautious with their former No. 2 overall pick, and they did not rush her back until Brink was fully healthy. That time has finally come, and it's no surprise that there's a lot of excitement surrounding Brink's return to action after 407 days on the sidelines. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
20 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Megha Ganne caps dramatic U.S. Women's Amateur semis with comeback performance
BANDON, Ore. – Megha Ganne loves performing. In grade school, she starred in over a dozen plays and musicals. Her most memorable roles included the Queen of Hearts in 'Alice in Wonderland' and Pinocchio in 'Shrek The Musical.' 'That was a formative part of my childhood,' Ganne said, 'but I haven't done one since freshman year of high school.' While competitive golf has put her acting ambitions on hold in recent years, it hasn't prevented her from producing great theatre on the course. Ganne's incredible comeback Saturday at Bandon Dunes was Tony-worthy. Four down with seven holes to play in her U.S. Women's Amateur semifinal match against Australia's Ella Scaysbrook, Ganne, a rising senior at Stanford, rallied to win in 19 holes to advance to her first championship match, where she will face Michigan State graduate Brooke Biermann in Sunday's 36-hole final. Biermann also needed one hole of overtime to defeat Kansas' Lyla Louderbaugh, which marked only the third time that both semifinals of this championship went to extras. The last occasion was 2018, 118 years after the first, the 1900 U.S. Women's Amateur at Shinnecock. Ganne isn't shy to admit her hopes had dwindled once Scaysbrook drained a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-4 11th hole to go 4 up. But she then tapped into her memory bank, specifically the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur, the only other time she'd advanced to the semifinals. Ganne was 15 years old, the youngest in the match-play field by four years, and facing then-Stanford senior Albane Valenzuela, who jumped out to an early 3-up lead on Ganne. Though she lost that day, Ganne fought back to extend the match to 19 holes. Since then, Ganne, now a seven-time U.S. Women's Amateur competitor, has dug out of similar holes and won. Ganne's message to herself while walking to the 12th tee: 'There is no reason you should think bad of yourself right now. If you told yourself at 15 this is where you would be, you would be pretty proud of yourself. You're exactly the type of person that could make this happen right now. Let's just go do it.' Scaysbrook certainly played a role in the ensuing drama. She left her second shot in a bunker at the par-3 12th and conceded that hole. Then she missed a 4-footer for birdie that lost her the par-5 13th. 'That was the first putt I've seen her miss all day,' Ganne said. Two holes later, Scaysbrook's chip at the par-3 15th took an unfortunate bounce and rolled into the sand, causing the Aussie to concede another hole. Ganne tied it up on the par-4 17th, where Scaysbrook fanned her approach off the side of the cliff. Both competitors traded bogeys at the par-5 closing hole to send the match to the par-4 10th again. Brooke Biermann watches her tee shot at the 18th hole during the semifinals of the 2025 U.S. Women's Amateur at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore. on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (Darren Carroll/USGA) Darren Carroll/USGA Museum Up ahead, Biermann and Louderbaugh were putting the finishing touches on their instant classic. Biermann led 3 up with four holes to play before Louderbaugh made par from the carry bunker at the short, par-4 16th, and then rolled in birdie putts of 15 and 25 feet, respectively, on the last two holes. But Louderbaugh's second shot into the shallow 10th green went long, and after she failed to make her par, she conceded the match. 'Coming down the stretch, she threw everything she had, which was great golf, and with that, you just have to stay calm,' said Biermann, who has now played three matches that have surpassed 18 holes. Biermann's extended run comes after she'd failed to make the cut in her five previous USGA championships. 'I told my dad, I just need to get over that hurdle, and the hurdle was the cut,' Biermann said. 'I know myself. I've played in several match play events, and I've gotten to the semifinals multiple times (most recently at the Women's Western Amateur last month). I love match play. Like that's where the fun begins. So, I believe that I could do this.' Once the first match wrapped, that paved the way for Ganne to eliminate Scaysbrook, who sailed her approach even longer than Louderbaugh on No. 10. Ganne didn't even have to stroke her birdie putt before the curtain fell on Scaysbrook. 'All you need to do is just go hit good shots and something will happen for you if it's meant to be,' Ganne said. 'Today was meant to be.' All that's left to play out now is Sunday's final act: History for Ganne, or tragedy?
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
How A Berkeley Professor Built Billion-Dollar Companies In His Lab
B erkeley Professor Ion Stoica and his students don't like being one-upped by anyone, let alone by archnemesis Stanford. That's why, when a user asked for a way to compare their open-source chatbot Vicuna with the rival school's Alpaca model, the Berkeley team pitted the bots against each other in a bloody AI battle. The user community went wild. Soon, Stoica's group added the ability to test random models side by side and let people vote on the battle outcome. It was all in good fun, explains associate professor Joseph Gonzalez, who worked on the project along with Stoica and his students. Out of that fun came ChatBot Arena, a website that hosts over 400 AI models, allowing users to chat with multiple ones simultaneously. Rebranded as LMArena in April, with Stoica serving as chairman, the company has raised $100 million in VC funding at a $600 million valuation. The 2-year-old outfit is already being used by developers like OpenAI, xAI and Google to test their chatbots, and has garnered over 3.5 million votes from users wanting to weigh in on these evolving models. This is just the latest research initiative from Computer Science Professor Ion Stoica's lab – which is mainly funded by private tech companies including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Google and IBM – to make an industry splash. In his nearly three decades in academia, he has co-founded four startups with university colleagues and students, including two unicorns so far. Born in then-communist Romania, Stoica moved to the U.S. in the late 90s to pursue his PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating, he headed west to begin teaching at UCBerkeley in 2000, and he hasn't abandoned his lab or students since. While most of his research is done with PhD candidates, he also continues to teach undergrads. This fall, for instance, he'll teach a class on operating systems and system programming. Stoica's first startup, streaming analytics firm Conviva, came along in 2006, around the time YouTube went mainstream. It was born out of his collaboration with former colleagues from CMU, including his own PhD advisor Hui Zhang, who describes him as 'one of the best researchers in the world.' Stoica and Zhang had been conducting research on providing quality video streaming over the internet, and, after observing the emerging market, decided to turn it into a company. Conviva, which last raised funding in 2017 at a $300 million valuation, acts as a smart watcher for online shows and movies, identifying sound and video issues and alerting streamers. It also offers reports on what everyone is watching, which parts they skip, and what they like, serving clients like FOX and Peacock. Despite no longer having an official title within Conviva, which is based in Foster City, California, Stoica remains on the board and says he meets with the team weekly. 'We have the potential to be the next Databricks,' says Zhang, who is Conviva's CTO, referring to the $62 billion data analytics firm that Stoica co-founded with six other Berkeley researchers. It was Databricks that first made Stoica (and at least two of his Berkeley cofounders) billionaires. In 2013, Stoica set out to discover how to process huge amounts of data more effectively with Ali Ghodsi, a visiting scholar from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and five PhD students. Together, they developed Spark, a piece of predictive software that serves as a powerful data-processing tool. Stoica wanted to turn Spark into a startup to encourage users to take the lab's research more seriously, according to Matei Zaharia, one of the PhD students who cofounded Databricks and is now an associate professor at Berkeley. Plus, he wanted to help smaller companies without sophisticated infrastructure manage and analyze massive amounts of data for both business insights and building AI tools. The company projected that annualized revenue would hit $3.7 billion by this July, and has been rumored to be eyeing the public market for years. As chair of a task force set up to address Berkeley's research funding cuts, Stoica is encouraging fellow professors to go after private funding, mimicking the model that has brought his own lab so much success. Not that the latter was Stoica's intention. 'I'm still an academic at heart,' he says. For him, the goal was never to get rich. 'If you are just driven by the money, you go do an IPO. That's the easiest way. But it's not that. It's about building something meaningful.' Stoica was CEO of Databricks from 2013 to 2016, when he handed off the reins to Ghodsi and transitioned into the role of Executive Chairman. 'Staying beyond that meant quitting Berkeley. So I had to choose,' he says, 'And I chose to go back.' The reason he never went into business full-time is his students: 'Young people in their formative years, sometimes they don't know what is possible or not…They have this kind of belief, and that's why you are going to get unexpected solutions,' he explains. Plus, Stoica credits his business success to his research focus: 'It's the act of creation…exploring new ideas.' 'I was thinking he probably got to be really high [up] by not caring too much about research problems. But it turned out I was wrong. He really cares about research values,' says one of his current post-doctorate students Yang Zhou. A Berkeley, Stoica has a reputation not just as a good teacher, but as a great sounding board for business ideas and, even more importantly, a person to help get these ideas off the ground with funding. It's that reputation that brought him the students with whom he would co-found Anyscale - the second billion-dollar company in his portfolio. Six years after Spark's creation, Philipp Moritz and Robert Nishihara, two PhD students of another Berkeley computer science professor, Michael Jordan, set out to fix a defect that required Spark to wait for every task to finish before moving on to the next operation. 'I said they're not going to get a lot of leadership from me. I'm not a systems builder,' recalls Jordan. So, he encouraged them to take Stoica's distributed systems class, where they worked with him on a solution. That project became Ray, a software designed to handle large-scale reinforcement learning more efficiently than synchronous systems like Spark. 'In typical Ion style, it was very quickly that he wanted to turn that into a company,' says Jordan, who helped start the company along with Stoica and his students. That's how Anyscale got started in 2019. Within three years, the company, a platform that helps developers scale their AI applications, had raised $260 million, including $200 million at a $1.4 billion valuation in its most recent funding round in September 2022. Stoica, who is executive chairman of the San Francisco based company, says Anyscale is doing 'very well' and will be raising additional funding within the next 12 months. 'He likes seeing these problems and trying to understand…how to really solve them. Which is what makes great research and what makes great business,' says associate professor and LMArena researcher Gonzalez of his colleague. And the key to solving problems, according to Stoica, lies in the universities. 'Everyone can use [university research]. Compare this with a company…They are not going to publish…They are not going to open-source their best systems.' Both Databricks' Spark and Anyscale's Ray started as open-source projects and are available to the public to this day. Stoica's lab has not suffered from the Trump administration's funding cuts, and likely won't anytime soon: 'We are in a more fortunate position,' he explains. The computing lab at Berkeley, which has a current annual budget of over $6 million, has been privately funded by big tech companies including Google and IBM since the early 2010s. It also receives funding from Stoica's own company Anyscale. But some of his fellow Berkeley researchers have felt the impact, which has halted projects at the school on everything ranging from making classical literature more accessible to fighting climate change – and are suing over it. One of the most successful professors at Berkeley, Stoica is now chairing a task force to address research funding cuts across the entire college of computing, data science, and society, according to dean Jennifer Chayes. As chair, he's encouraging fellow professors to go after private funding, mimicking the model that has brought his own lab so much success. 'He is leading that with incredibly creative ideas about how to go out to companies and how to go out to VCs,' says Chayes. The more than 80 students who have been personally mentored by Stoica have benefitted from his resources and connections. They are overwhelmingly employed within academia or the startup scene, including at least 7 who work at Databricks. But the tech job landscape isn't as kind to everyone. Computer science graduates, once among the most in-demand applicants, have been struggling to find employment as AI leads companies to scale back their workforces. 'What I'm telling students is to embrace and to use these [AI] tools,' says Stoica, 'It's clear that there is going to be some short-time pain. But think from another perspective.' Stoica believes AI is about accelerating the pace of human evolution and eventually becoming an interplanetary civilization. 'If you're seeing it this way,' he says, '[We] still don't have enough people to do it.' More from Forbes Forbes NASA Is Already Prepping To Build Trump A Nuclear Reactor On The Moon By Christopher Helman Forbes 'It Was Very Sudden': ChatGPT Users Mourned The Loss Of GPT-5's Predecessor By Richard Nieva Forbes How YoungLA Pumped Up Its Activewear Startup To $176 Million In Sales By Simone Melvin Forbes Everyone Hates Credit Card Disputes. This Fintech Is Using AI To Fix That. By Jeff Kauflin Forbes 'Smoke And Mirrors': How This Entrepreneur Exaggerated And Self-Promoted Her Way Into Turmoil By Monica Hunter-Hart
