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Podcast: The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
Episode: 1KHO 474: Using Psychology as a Weapon Against Children | Dr. Richard Freed, Better Than Real Life
Description: This might be the most important episode we’ve ever released. Dr. Richard Freed, psychologist and author of Better Than Real Life, pulls back the curtain on persuasive design—the hidden psychological science used by tech companies to keep kids glued to their screens. These technologies aren't just entertaining—they’re engineered by neuroscientists to exploit children's deepest instincts and hijack their brains. Most parents have never heard of this, yet it’s quietly reshaping childhood as we know it.
We talk about the ethics of manipulating kids, why screen time guidelines have mysteriously disappeared, and how AI is supe...