Materials & Waste

Human transformation of metals and sand has environmental impacts.

It's easy to forget that phones run on materials from the earth. Combine exploitative rare earth mining with requiring you to replace devices every two years, tech has massive environmental impacts.

Photo: Muntaka Chasant via Shutterstock Illustration: TTWW

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Cobalt mining and conflict in the Congo

An artisanal miner holds a cobalt stone at the Shabara artisanal mine in the DRC.

The exploitation of cobalt for mobile phone batteries in the Congo has been associated with conflict and human rights...

Apple slows down older phones in 'batterygate'

Image of a person holding their iPhone plugged in to charge with the battery drain notification displayed on the phone.

Apple acknowledges that they slow down older iPhones through software updates. This acknowledgment reignites discussions...

Digital Right to Repair Coalition forms

Person wearing gloves removes a cracked screen from a phone.

Advocates for the right to repair mobile devices are pushing for legislation that would allow consumers to repair their...

“We noticed protest posters: 'You will drink lithium, you will eat copper.'”

– Ligaya, Atacama Desert, Chile

Donate or recycle your old device.

Take Action
Disassembled smartphone and recycle bin in background.

For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33...

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Culture & Behaviors

From emojis to memes, we connect and make meaning with tech.

Bodies & Minds

Pocket computers are intimate tech.

Movements & Resistance

Tech is both a tool and a target for collective action.

Risk & Safety

Tech can simultaneously expose and protect our vulnerabilities.

Economy & Labor

Tech disrupts economies and changes the nature of work.

Connection & Access

Connectivity is never a given.

Design & Use

The design of tech shapes and influences our use, and vice versa.

Decades

Explore the chronological timeline of a people's history of tech.

People's Stories

Explore the living artifact of your stories and experiences.

Resources

Take action and imagine better tech futures.

Tell Your Story

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  • Spencer
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  • Theresa Richardson
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  • Whitney
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  • Xiaowei Wang
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  • AB
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  • Andrew Gurza
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  • Antonio
  • *
  • B Kelley
  • *
  • Becky Russell
  • *
  • Ben
  • *
  • Bettina Dalton
  • *
  • Caitlin Begg
  • *
  • Carrie
  • *
  • Catherine Ingram
  • *
  • Chelsey Petty-Dale
  • *
  • Cody Brooks
  • *
  • Willow Idlewild
  • *
  • Confidence Osein
  • *
  • Eli Pariser
  • *
  • Dana
  • *
  • Domsk
  • *
  • Eli Boahen
  • *
  • Emily Best
  • *
  • Erica
  • *
  • Erik Matthies
  • *
  • Grace
  • *
  • Ina
  • *
  • Jasmine Sun
  • *
  • Jeffrey Abramson
  • *
  • Jim Remsik
  • *
  • Coraline Ada Ehmke
  • *
  • Kaitlin
  • *
  • Kane
  • *
  • Kris Boustedt
  • *
  • Kristen
  • *
  • Laura Heery
  • *
  • Laura Kalbag
  • *
  • Ligaya
  • *
  • Lorna Craig
  • *
  • Maira Elahi
  • *
  • Meghan
  • *
  • Nick
  • *
  • Owen
  • *
  • Pablo
  • *
  • Patrick McDermott
  • *
  • Reuben Johnson
  • *
  • Rosita
  • *
  • Sam
  • *
  • Sara M. Watson
  • *
  • Sarp
  • *
  • SaVance Ford
  • *
  • Natalya Dell
  • *
  • Sherri Johnson
  • *
  • Spencer
  • *
  • Theresa Richardson
  • *
  • Whitney
  • *
  • Xiaowei Wang
  • *
  • AB
  • *
  • Andrew Gurza
  • *
  • Antonio
  • *
  • B Kelley
  • *
  • Becky Russell
  • *
  • Ben
  • *
  • Bettina Dalton
  • *
  • Caitlin Begg
  • *
  • Carrie
  • *
  • Catherine Ingram
  • *
  • Chelsey Petty-Dale
  • *
  • Cody Brooks
  • *
  • Willow Idlewild
  • *
  • Confidence Osein
  • *
  • Eli Pariser
  • *
  • Dana
  • *
  • Domsk
  • *
  • Eli Boahen
  • *
  • Emily Best
  • *
  • Erica
  • *
  • Erik Matthies
  • *
  • Grace
  • *
  • Ina
  • *
  • Jasmine Sun
  • *
  • Jeffrey Abramson
  • *
  • Jim Remsik
  • *
  • Coraline Ada Ehmke
  • *
  • Kaitlin
  • *
  • Kane
  • *
  • Kris Boustedt
  • *
  • Kristen
  • *
  • Laura Heery
  • *
  • Laura Kalbag
  • *
  • Ligaya
  • *
  • Lorna Craig
  • *
  • Maira Elahi
  • *
  • Meghan
  • *
  • Nick
  • *
  • Owen
  • *
  • Pablo
  • *
  • Patrick McDermott
  • *
  • Reuben Johnson
  • *
  • Rosita
  • *
  • Sam
  • *
  • Sara M. Watson
  • *
  • Sarp
  • *
  • SaVance Ford
  • *
  • Natalya Dell
  • *
  • Sherri Johnson
  • *
  • Spencer
  • *
  • Theresa Richardson
  • *
  • Whitney
  • *
  • Xiaowei Wang
  • *
  • AB
  • *
  • Andrew Gurza
  • *
  • Antonio
  • *
  • B Kelley
  • *
  • Becky Russell
  • *
  • Ben
  • *
  • Bettina Dalton
  • *
  • Caitlin Begg
  • *
  • Carrie
  • *
  • Catherine Ingram
  • *
  • Chelsey Petty-Dale
  • *
  • Cody Brooks
  • *
  • Willow Idlewild
  • *
  • Confidence Osein
  • *
  • Eli Pariser
  • *
  • Dana
  • *
  • Domsk
  • *
  • Eli Boahen
  • *
  • Emily Best
  • *
  • Erica
  • *
  • Erik Matthies
  • *
  • Grace
  • *
  • Ina
  • *
  • Jasmine Sun
  • *
  • Jeffrey Abramson
  • *
  • Jim Remsik
  • *
  • Coraline Ada Ehmke
  • *
  • Kaitlin
  • *
  • Kane
  • *
  • Kris Boustedt
  • *
  • Kristen
  • *
  • Laura Heery
  • *
  • Laura Kalbag
  • *
  • Ligaya
  • *
  • Lorna Craig
  • *
  • Maira Elahi
  • *
  • Meghan
  • *
  • Nick
  • *
  • Owen
  • *
  • Pablo
  • *
  • Patrick McDermott
  • *
  • Reuben Johnson
  • *
  • Rosita
  • *
  • Sam
  • *
  • Sara M. Watson
  • *
  • Sarp
  • *
  • SaVance Ford
  • *
  • Natalya Dell
  • *
  • Sherri Johnson
  • *
  • Spencer
  • *
  • Theresa Richardson
  • *
  • Whitney
  • *
  • Xiaowei Wang
  • *