The speaker argues that current technology and social media designs prioritize attention and engagement, but they don't align with what humans truly care about. Instead of optimizing for the "lizard brain" (driven by instinct and impulse), technology should be designed to optimize for the "reflective brain" (driven by reason and intention). The speaker notes that technology companies are not necessarily evil, but the system has gotten out of control, resulting in a race to the bottom where the only way to get more attention is to appeal to people's baser instincts. To address this issue, the speaker advocates for a different approach to designing technology and social media platforms that prioritize what humans truly care about and value their well-being over maximizing engagement and attention.