First Byte with Avni Kotharkar

In this episode, I explore the gap between awareness and action in our daily social media habits. Even when we know platforms are designed to nudge us through recommendations, notifications, and endless feeds, we continue to scroll. Through relatable examples and conversations with a digital wellbeing researcher and a youth psychologist, this episode examines how habit loops, dopamine rewards, and convenience keep users engaged. More importantly, it considers whether awareness alone is enough and what small, intentional strategies can help regain control.**DISCLAIMER: The interviews in this episode are fictionalized for storytelling purposes, but all information and research presented are accurate and based on real studies. **

Not everyone online 24/7 actually is. This episode looks at why being “chronically online” feels louder than it is.

Technology builds versions of us from patterns and guesses. This episode looks at what gets lost when we’re reduced to data.

Am I the algorithm’s main character? Explore how apps predict your behavior and why you should take the lead in your own story.

Our phones learn us through patterns we barely notice. This episode explores what happens when technology understands us a little too well.

The way we use technology quietly reflects who we are. This episode explores the patterns, habits, and choices that make tech more human than we think.

What if your interest in tech comes from observation, not equations? This episode is about finding your place without forcing a mold.

I used to think being good at coding was the only way into tech. This episode is about curiosity, culture, and finding your place anyway.

Welcome to First Byte: a podcast about tech, culture, and figuring it all out in real time.