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AI Is Bringing Back the Dead, And We Need to Talk About It
This is what grief actually looks like. Not an algorithm. Not a chatbot. Not a subscription service. This. And that distinction matters more than the tech industry would like you to think. I've been sitting with this one for a while. That's not something I usually say. Most of what I write about, I feel clear on. Scams make me angry. Privacy violations make me frustrated. Bad tech policy makes me want to write to my MP. The emotion is usually straightforward. This one is diff
Michael Routhier
Featured Post
Digital Rights
Being locked out of the internet is not an inconvenience, it is a civil rights issue. Drawing from original Tech 4 Grown-Ups research, these articles document how technology companies deliberately excluded older adults, and what that costs in health, income, and dignity. Because every person, regardless of age, deserves full participation in the digital world.
SMS Blasters: The Text Scam That Can Actually Kill You
I'm going to be honest with you today. I'm a little angry writing this one. Not frustrated. Not mildly concerned. Actually angry. Because what I'm about to describe isn't just another scam designed to steal your money or your identity. It's something that can get people killed. And the people doing it are smart enough to know that. Let's talk about SMS blasters. What Is an SMS Blaster? An SMS blaster is a portable device, in some cases, not much larger than a backpack, that e
Michael Routhier
Apr 296 min read
Oracle Just Laid Off 30,000 Workers. Older Adults Pay the Price.
Oracle cut up to 30,000 jobs to fund its AI push — and older, experienced workers are bearing the brunt. Here's what this means for adults 55+ and what comes next
Michael Routhier
Apr 37 min read
How the Tech Industry Deliberately Left Older Adults Behind
The digital exclusion of adults 55 and older was not an accident. It was not the natural outcome of technological progress moving faster than people could keep up. It was a deliberate choice, made by technology companies during the most critical period of the internet's development, and the evidence is now documented and undeniable. The Dot-Com Era: When the Choice Was Made (1990–2001) When the World Wide Web emerged commercially in the 1990s, the technology industry faced a
Michael Routhier
Mar 233 min read
Being Locked Out of the Internet Is a Civil Rights Issue
In 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution declaring that the same rights people have offline must also be protected online. Internet access became an internationally recognized human right. Yet millions of adults 55 and older remain systematically locked out of the digital world. That is not a market inconvenience. It is a civil rights violation. The Internet Is Now a Human Right — Officially The UN Human Rights Council's 2016 Resolution A/HRC/RES/3
Michael Routhier
Mar 233 min read
Why Scrolling Facebook Makes You Feel Like a Failure
Have you ever picked up your phone, opened Facebook, scrolled through your feed — and then put the phone down feeling just a little bit worse than when you picked it up? If that has happened to you, there is nothing wrong with you. What's happening has a name, it's backed by real science, and it is being done to you on purpose. You Are Seeing Everyone's Highlight Reel — Not Real Life When you post something on Facebook, what do you share? You post the birthday party, not the
Michael Routhier
Mar 234 min read
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