Funny as Tech: a podcast about our messy relationship with tech

How can we be our authentic selves online? Should teens approach social media as if they are their own brand? David & Joe chat with tech lifestyle expert Stephanie Humphrey about digital footprints and the difficulty to living our lives online. Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how emerging technology is altering our life in so many profound ways. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo == Technology and Lifestyle Expert Stephanie Humphrey is a former engineer who merges her passion for lifestyle media with in-depth tech expertise to show everyday people how empowering, enriching and fun technology can be. Stephanie is driven by the sole purpose of connecting people, particularly those underrepresented in technology, with the tech know-how to transform their worlds. Stephanie is currently a technology contributor for ABC News where she works as part of the nationally syndicated Strahan Sara & Keke team. Before that, she spent two years as the technology contributor to daytime talk show The Harry Show, hosted by Harry Connick, Jr. She’s also been a guest expert on the daytime morning show Home & Family on The Hallmark Channel, and Sister Circle Live on TV One. Stephanie was a frequent guest on NewsOne with Roland Martin and has also contributed her tech-life expertise to other national media outlets including Al-Jazeera America, HuffPostLive, TheGrio.com, and BlackEnterprise.com. She is a regular on-air tech contributor to Fox 29’s Good Day Philadelphia (WTXF) where she delivered tech news since 2012. Stephanie spent three years as the technology writer for EBONY.com, a contributor to EBONY magazine, and was the originator of the popular Tech2Go column on TheRoot.com. She also spent two years as the spokesperson for HP, Inc. on the QVC shopping channel. You can currently catch her monthly radio segment on The Karen Hunter Show on Sirius XM and hear regular tech segments on WDAS-FM in Philadelphia as well. And Stephanie uses social media to help thousands of people understand tech basics with her weekly 60-Second Tech Break on Instagram & Twitter (@TechLifeSteph). Clips of some of Stephanie’s work can be viewed on her YouTube channel. Helping students is a passion that drives Stephanie, and she has channeled this motivation into a seminar called ‘Til Death Do You Tweet. The seminar, tailored to either students, parents, or professionals, helps them understand the potential negative consequences of online behavior - especially through social media - and gives helpful advice on how people can maintain a positive reputation in cyberspace. Her book “Don’t Let Your Digital Footprint Kick You in the Butt!” expands on these concepts and is due to launch in August 2020.

Is it time that we left Facebook & Twitter? Can a person succeed without a social media presence? And is social media a communications platform with advertising, or an advertising platform with communication? Joe & David discuss and debate the virtues of leaving social media, and also who has more control over major platforms: the users or the advertisers. Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how social media and emerging technology is altering what it means to be human. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo

What is Section 230 and why is it so important to how social media companies operate? David & Joe discuss and debate, with David going over the nuances of social media that make is part public square, part media company, and part utility company. Given the current battle over how social media companies moderate content, it is a much needed conversation. Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how emerging technology is altering our life in so many profound ways. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo

David & Joe talk to Amanda Brennan, the trend expert and meme librarian at Tumblr, about the importance of memes, where the internet is headed, and what we can learn from teens online. Amanda Brennan is Tumblr’s internet librarian who currently leads their content and social teams. After graduating with her MLIS from Rutgers University, she began her career at Know Your Meme, researching the history of internet phenomena and niche subcultures. She has been at Tumblr since 2013 where she spearheaded The Fandometrics, Tumblr’s weekly ranking of entertainment fandoms on the platform, which Paste Magazine asserted should be "given a permanent place in pop culture’s critical metrics tool belt." She has spoken about internet history at conferences across the US , with topics ranging from Slender Man to cat videos, the latter of which she discussed in the BBC Four documentary How To Go Viral. She lives in New Jersey with her spouse and their three cats. Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how emerging technology is altering our life in so many profound ways. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo

Should Elon Musk get fired from Tesla?? Hosts David & Joe discuss the the outsized role that Elon Musk plays at Tesla and whether his erratic online behavior and cryptic posts are becoming too much to handle. Does Tesla=Elon Musk or can it have a life without him? Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how emerging technology is altering our life in so many profound ways. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo

Is a trend authentic or merely being propped up by business? David & Joe talk to trend expert Matt Klein about our life on social media, why certain technology gets adopted and others don't, and the importance of culture and psychology in determining where our tech use is headed. Matt Klein studies emergent cultural trends and the interplay of our technology and psychology, helping us make sense of now, next and the future. You can find him on Twitter at @KleinKleinKlein Funny as Tech is a podcast about our messy relationship with technology. Hosted by tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo, the show looks at how emerging technology is altering the human experience. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo MATT KLEIN Matt Klein is a Director of Strategy at sparks & honey, a cultural consultancy, and a writer at Forbes, analyzing memes and media theory. With experience working alongside organizations including Google, MetLife, Columbia, American Airlines, AB-InBev and Facebook, as well as non-profits and government agencies, he has become a trusted source in identifying cultural change and developing future-proofing business strategies. Distinguished as top talent across Omnicom's 1,500 marketing agencies, Matt's expertise spans verticals and capabilities including marketing strategy, business transformation, trend forecasting, and UX. Hisobservations have been featured in The New York Times, WSJ, The Atlantic, TechCrunch, CNBC, Adweek and Forbes, and my thoughts have been broadcasted by the likes of Richard Branson and Arianna Huffington. https://kleinkleinklein.com/

Will there be love during lockdown? Are we headed for a baby boom or a rush of divorces? How do couples adjust? On this episode of Funny as Tech, hosts David & Joe talk with renowned sex therapist Maureen McGrath about technology, Covid-19, and maintaining intimacy during this highly stressful time. Her passion for education takes her to the airwaves every Sunday Night as host of the Sunday Night Health Show, a live listener call-in radio program that airs live on the Corus Radio Network. It is also a podcast and can be heard on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. MAUREEN MCGRATH Maureen McGrath specializes in women’s intimate health. A sought-after speaker, Her TEDxStanleyPark talk video, “No Sex Marriage – Masturbation, Loneliness, Cheating and Shame” went viral with more than 20 million views. https://maureenmcgrath.com/ === Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to discuss how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast with a diverse range of experts. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo

Have Covid & dating apps killed romance, or have we been emotionally distancing for years? David & Joe, both married, have a freewheeling conversation with comedian & actress Carolyn Paine about her experiences swiping during lock-down. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to discuss how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast with a diverse range of experts. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo Carolyn Paine is an actress, dancer, and comedian. She has appeared in various TV shows and national commercials as well as regional and Off-Broadway theatre productions. As a dancer and choreographer, she has traveled internationally as dancer with pop stars, been featured in a photo series in Italian Vogue, and danced for ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Her choreography and dancing have also been featured on The Wonderful World of Dance and the international Dance Informa Magazine. Additionally, Carolyn is a comedian who frequently performs standup, has worked with Hannibal Burress, and has been featured on a HBO promo, and in Glamour magazine. She is also a writer for various podcasts, sketches, and websites. Her comedy and comedy shorts have been honored at the Women in Comedy Festival, The International Comedy Festival in California, and the London International Comedy Short Film Festival. Carolyn is also a regular panelist on WNPR’s The Nose with Colin McEnroe.

Will Facebook Gaming be a big hit or a massive flop? Hosts David & Joe offer some predictions, side rants, and investment advice that you should probably not follow. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to discuss how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast with a diverse range of experts. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo @FunnyAsTech Send us a voicemail at:(646) 687-6309

We talk to memetics expert Dr. Jamie Cohen about the importance of memes, why they are some big during Covid19, and why everyone should be fluent in memes. We also learn about Edge Lords, and debate why virtual reality is not having its moment in the sun. Connect with Jamie at @NewandDigital and JamesNCohen.com Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to discuss how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast with a diverse range of experts. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo @FunnyAsTech (646) 687-6309

Forget screen time--we are all stuck inside exploring new online worlds, rediscovering a fondness toward video chats, and trying to balance a desire for information with a need for calmness. David & Joe chat with Australian psychologist & researcher Jocelyn Brewer, a well-known voice in around psychology in the digital age and the leader of the digital nutrition movement. Connect with Jocelyn at: www.JocelynBrewer.com @JocelynBrewer Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to discuss how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast with a diverse range of experts. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo @FunnyAsTech (646) 687-6309

Has Covid-19 killed the techlash? After the last few years of mounting criticism, the tech industry has been receiving kudos for their ability to tamp down Covid-19 and also provide digital tools with heightened importance. How does this alter our general relationship with Big Tech? David & Joe discuss and debate. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com

How will Covid-19 impact our relationship with tech? Now more than ever we are relaying on digital tools to feel connects with others. This moment has brought into focus both the tremendous ways that our tools are allowing us to cope, along with ways for improvement in the future. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience in this weekly podcast. FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com

Why have we gone from tech adoration to the current techlash? How did we get here, and will the tech industry correct its path? Do we need a different way to think about "tech reformers?" This a live show recording for Funny as Tech that occurred on March 10, 2020 at the Peoples Improv Theater in NYC. Hosts David Ryan Polgar & Joe Leonardo were joined by Yaël Eisenstat (Visiting Fellow at Cornell Tech in the Digital Life Initiative, former CIA, former Global Head of Elections Integrity Operations in Facebook’s business integrity org), Joe Toscano (author of Automating Humanity, founder of BEACON), & Stephanie Humphrey (Technology Contributor for ABC News). The live show also included an opening stand-up by data science comedian Andrea Jones-Rooy. Connect with us & the guests! FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com https://twitter.com/YaelEisenstat https://twitter.com/realjoet https://twitter.com/TechLifeSteph https://twitter.com/jonesrooy

The human side of data with data science circus performer Andrea Jones-Rooy! Did we mention Andrea is an NYU prof & also a stand-up comedian?! David & Joe dig into Andrea's eclectic background, talk about the need for humanities in data science, the difficulty of productivity stats, and so much more. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience. UPCOMING LIVE SHOW in NYC on March 10, 2020: thepit-nyc.com/events/funny-as-t…and-joe-leonardo/ TOPIC: Why Is There a Techlash?! Featuring special guests Yaël Eisenstat (Visiting Fellow at Cornell Tech in the Digital Life Initiative, former CIA, former Global Head of Elections Integrity Operations in Facebook’s business integrity org), Joe Toscano (author of Automating Humanity, founder of BEACON), & Stephanie Humphrey (Technology Contributor for ABC News). We’ll be kicking the evening off with stand-up by data science comedian Andrea Jones-Rooy! FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com == Andrea Jones-Rooy, Ph.D. is a social scientist specializing in complexity. She is the author of a book and several research articles on complex systems. She also contributes articles to media outlets on international relations, foreign affairs, and uncertainty. http://www.jonesrooy.com/

How can we prevent real world problems in virtual environments? What rights do our virtual bodies have? David & Joe chat with Kalila Shapiro, a Processing Foundation fellow who is currently writing a series on VR Ethics for All Tech Is Human, about the need to tackle thorny ethical issues facing virtual reality. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience. UPCOMING LIVE SHOW in NYC on March 10, 2020: https://thepit-nyc.com/events/funny-as-tech-with-david-ryan-polgar-and-joe-leonardo/ TOPIC: Why Is There a Techlash?! Featuring special guests Yaël Eisenstat (Visiting Fellow at Cornell Tech in the Digital Life Initiative, former CIA, former Global Head of Elections Integrity Operations in Facebook’s business integrity org), Joe Toscano (author of Automating Humanity, founder of BEACON), & Stephanie Humphrey (Technology Contributor for ABC News). We’ll be kicking the evening off with stand-up by data science comedian Andrea Jones-Rooy! FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com

How can we fight misinformation & build trust online with news? David & Joe chat with Macaela Bennett from NewsGuard about our information ecosystem, building media literacy skills, and where we're headed. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience. UPCOMING LIVE SHOW in NYC on March 10, 2020: https://thepit-nyc.com/events/funny-as-tech-with-david-ryan-polgar-and-joe-leonardo/ TOPIC: Why Is There a Techlash?! FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com

What happens to your sensitive mental health data when using a telehealth platform? Is it secure? What if the company is sold? Does anyone really read the terms of service? David & Joe chat with Dr. Lauri Goldkind about data protection, the quality of care provided by telehealth platforms, privacy, and responsibility. Fun! Get in touch with Funny as Tech! Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss. On Funny as Tech, a comedian (Joe Leonardo) teams up with a tech ethicist (David Ryan Polgar) to tackle how emerging tech is upending the human experience. UPCOMING LIVE SHOW in NYC on March 10, 2020: https://thepit-nyc.com/events/funny-as-tech-with-david-ryan-polgar-and-joe-leonardo/ FunnyAsTech.com DavidRyanPolgar.com JoeLeonardo.com Info@FunnyAsTech.com Dr. Goldkind is an associate professor at Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service. She is also the editor of the Journal of Technology in Human Services. Dr. Goldkind’s current research has two strands: technology implementation in the human services and nonprofits and the social justice and ethics implications of data collection, use and dissemination in community based organizations. Wherever possible she combines both ICT and social justice for a blend of tech enhanced civic engagement and improved organizational functioning. She holds an M.S.W. from SUNY Stony Brook with a concentration in planning, administration, and research and a PhD from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Dr. Goldkind is also a past visiting research fellow at the UN University on Computing in Society, Macau, SAR, China.

Is theater the best medium to explore the impact of technology on the human condition? We chat with playwright, actor, and fellow podcaster (S.H.I.P.S.) Pat McAndrew on the power of the stage to explore all of the weird, wild, and confusing ways that social media has upended how we connect (or don't). On Funny as Tech, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo bring on a wide range of experts to unpack are confusing present and uncertain future. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss! FunnyAsTech.com TechEthicist.com JoeLeonardo.com @FunnyAsTech @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo Pat McAndrew is an actor, writer, international speaker, podcast host, and musician based in New York City. He performs and develops evocative performances and shows, often about technology's impact on human relationships. Pat is particularly interested in using theatre, film, and media as a gateway to learning about the Internet and social media's influence on our decisions, habits, and lifestyles. Pat has taken the stage, not only as a performer, but as a speaker as well, sharing his take on how we can be more human in the age of technology. He has spoken at international conferences, on college campuses, and at community events on topics related to enhancing our relationships in the technological revolution. His methods are rooted in his extensive background as an actor, as he believes the skillsets learned through actor training are vital in helping to fight tech addiction, isolation, anxiety, and depression and in improving the social well-being of individuals and communities. Pat has performed in various locations throughout New York City, including Carnegie Hall and Theatre Row, as well as other locations throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Pat's one-man show, REEL, which deals with the impact that excessive technology use has on human relationships, was performed in the 2017 United Solo Theatre Festival, the largest solo theatre festival in the world. His other one-man show, The Other Scottish Play, was performed in the 2018 United Solo Theatre Festival. Pat is a member of Village Playback Theatre, Endless River Arts, and Svaha Theatre Collective. In 2019, Pat launched the podcast, SHIPS: The Vessels for a Meaningful Life. In the show, he speaks with top experts in the fields of digital wellness, entertainment, and business to discover how to cultivate more genuine, meaningful relationships in an age where technology is king, anxiety and isolation are at an all time high, and the only possible cure for our loneliness is through building relationships and community while collaborating and connecting with others. https://www.patmcandrew.com/about

We chat with AI Criminologist Renée Cummings about fighting bias in AI, promoting social justice, and thorny debates around emerging tech! Oh, and of course Minority Report comes up. On Funny as Tech, tech ethicist David Ryan Polgar and comedian Joe Leonardo bring on a wide range of experts to unpack are confusing present and uncertain future. Our relationship with tech is messy...let's discuss! FunnyAsTech.com TechEthicist.com JoeLeonardo.com @FunnyAsTech @TechEthicist @ImJoeLeonardo @CummingsRenee Renée Cumming is an AI strategist who specializes in ethical, diverse, equitable, inclusive and responsible AI development and deployment, algorithmic accountability, data integrity, AI for social good and social justice, AI policy and governance. Passionate about using AI to design real time solutions to urban challenges, I’m committed to deploying AI to empower and sustainably transform cities, communities, cultures, and organizations; securing full participation of citizens in the 4IR, helping companies navigate the AI landscape and developing future AI leaders. A multicultural cross-connector of multi-disciplinary fields and an innovative collaborator; I’m committed to fostering powerful connections, unifying people and technologies, enhancing quality of life and increasing economic prosperity. Uniquely qualified with a broad knowledge base and international experience, I believe in the power of the imagination and the extraordinary possibilities of AI, augmented intelligence and collective intelligence. Using AI to reengineer how we think about offending, policing, safety, security, sentencing and public health and AI inspired approaches to homicide reduction, violence and crime prevention are all areas of specialization as a criminologist.