top of page

What do we do

What do we do?

DII provides a structured, evidence-informed framework to:

  • Measure erosion of social connectedness, empathy, and dignity

  • Examine loss of human agency and autonomy in system-driven environments

  • Assess cognitive, emotional, temporal, and embodied impacts of digital and institutional systems

  • Enable policymakers, designers, organizations, and citizens to identify dehumanization risks early

 

Our approach combines insights from behavioral economics, ethics, systems thinking, sociology, philosophy, and human-centred design.

Who are we for

DII is designed for:

  • Policymakers and public institutions

  • Technology designers and platform builders

  • Researchers and academics

  • Employers and organizations

  • Civil society groups and citizens

Anyone who believes that human well-being should be a design constraint, not an afterthought.

Where DII Can Be Applied

  • Digital devices & apps (mobile phones, social media, AI tools)

  • Workplaces & platforms (gig economy, remote work systems)

  • Public services & portals (citizen-facing tech, grievance systems)

  • Education & training systems (online learning, assessments)

  • Policy evaluation (efficiency vs human cost)

  • AI & automation audits

What do we attempt to measure

The first test version of the Dehumanizing Impact Index (DII) is an attempt to measure how screen time might be quietly influencing your relationships, empathy, presence, and overall human experience.In this version, we measure eight core dimensions to surface patterns, prompt reflection, and guide future refinement.

1. Social Connectedness

Measures erosion of real, reciprocal human interaction.

  • Replacement of face-to-face interaction

  • Transactional vs relational exchanges

  • Loneliness despite connectivity

Key question: Does this system connect people or isolate them efficiently?

2. Emotional Presence & Empathy

Assesses whether emotional nuance is preserved or flattened.

  • Reduction of empathy to emojis, ratings, or scores

  • Lack of emotional feedback loops

  • Emotional labor outsourced or ignored

Key question: Are emotions acknowledged or merely processed?

3. Agency & Autonomy

Evaluates control over decisions, pace, and choices.

  • Algorithmic nudging or coercion

  • Dark patterns and default traps

  • Loss of meaningful consent

Key question: Is the human deciding or being steered?

4. Cognitive Depth & Attention

Measures impact on thinking, reflection, and understanding.

  • Fragmented attention

  • Shallow consumption over deep thought

  • Speed prioritized over comprehension

Does this system invite thinking or prevent it?

5. Dignity & Respect

Assesses whether people are treated as humans or resources.

  • Surveillance-heavy environments

  • Reduction of people to data points

  • Disrespectful automation

Key question: Is the person visible or only their output?

6. Embodied Experience

Looks at disconnection from physical, sensory reality.

  • Sedentary behavior

  • Loss of tactile or spatial engagement

  • Virtual substitution for lived experience

Key question: Is the body involved or bypassed?

7. Temporal Integrity

Measures distortion of natural human rhythms.

  • Always-on expectations

  • Collapse of work–rest boundaries

  • Acceleration without recovery

Does time belong to humans—or to the system?

8. Meaning & Purpose

Assesses whether actions feel meaningful or hollow.

  • Gamification replacing purpose

  • Metrics substituting values

  • Work without narrative or contribution

Key question: Does this system create meaning or merely motion?

bottom of page