About Austu

Austu was started by R Blank in 2020.

We live in a tech-centered world. We have for decades. Each and every year, technology permeates more of our lives.

And we enjoy it.

It provides us with entertainment and health care; it fuels our economy and provides income. Technology has brought us a tremendous amount of value.

But in 2020, something changed.

That year, many of us were stuck inside. For a long time. A really long time.

Suddenly, our jobs happened over computers. And our children attended school via screens. We stopped seeing doctors in person, and instead had telehealth appointments. We watched more Netflix and HBO Max than ever before.

In the same period, we also saw the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, testify before Congress about the harm of social media, and the efforts that these firms have taken to make their products as addictive as possible.

And not too long after that, we saw both Facebook AND Netflix have their first recorded drops in users.

And those are just a few examples of many we could cite.

In other words, we suddenly realized: maybe this is too much?

Maybe, with all this tech that’s created so much joy and value for us over the years— maybe it’s not always helpful?

Maybe we’re doing too much, too fast, too mindlessly? Maybe we’re not taking our time to enjoy and engage in the world around us?

Maybe our digital consumption has become harmful?

Maybe there is such a thing as too much tech? That certain technology can be harmful to us, our quality of life, our society and our planet?

And that’s when we started Austu , and our first season of the Austu Podcast.

Because, none of us want to return to a world without technology.

But there are healthier ways to engage with technology. There is a balance, where we focus on engaging with technology that brings value – and joy — and avoiding technology that causes us harm.

And that’s why we created Austu . To help us find a healthier balance in our relationships with modern technology.