Whether we like it or not, online connection engenders some decidedly bad behavior. It's one of those unintended consequences that I like to talk about -- a behavioral side effect that's catalyzed by technology. And, if this is the case, we should know a little more about the psychology behind this behavior.

For the past 36 years, Sun Valley, Idaho has played host to one of the most exclusive gatherings anywhere in the world, which this year promises to have unparalleled significance.

I would say that FAWA - encompassing Facebook, Amazon, Walmart, Alphabet - is better for digital advertising than any combination that involves fewer letters. I expect Walmart Media Group to become a force to be reckoned with, just as Amazon has.

Data is not going to define the future of successful TV advertising, any more than it has defined digital advertising. I know that's not what you hear at most conferences, but as someone who has worked at the center of data-driven advertising for the past 25 years, I can say this with certainty.

As more consumers become aware of data use, they will likely pressure the federal government to develop some kind of broader national legislation that could be even more restrictive and detrimental to the ad- and mar-tech sector than the GDPR and recent California legislation. This needs to become a central issue, and the large companies in the data, digital media and technology business need to band together to address it proactively.

Humans in almost every circumstance prefer the promise of abundance to scarcity. It's how we're hardwired. The variable here is our level of confidence in our ability to sort through the options available to us. If we feel confident that we can heuristically limit our choices to the most relevant ones, we will always forage in a richer environment.

I was with AT&T for 11 years. But yesterday, after three weeks of wrangling, hours and hours of phone calls, absolute lies from sales reps and managers, and two egregious price increases, I walked away.

"Leadership" is one of those words like "sustainability." There are dozens of Ph.D. programs on the topic, thousands of books, a million different interpretations and angles. Notwithstanding all this content, the scale at which we're operating means we need to talk about leadership now more than ever. Decisions about things like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, corporate governance and more affect billions of people. And things that are innocuous at a small scale can create huge challenges when scaled up. Marshmallows are delicious; the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is devastating.

The Cannes Festival of Advertising, where Lions come from, may not have jumped the shark yet, but it's headed that way. That's important not just because the Lions are the Oscars of advertising, but because the festival itself is a mirror of our industry. This year's look in the mirror gave a rather unflattering reflection. What happened?

This week, we celebrate our countries on both sides of the 49th Parallel: Canada Day on July 1, and U.S. Independence Day on July 4. But what exactly are we celebrating? What is it that we're patriotic toward? The whole idea of a nation is a rather nebulous one. Exactly what is this thing we call America or Canada?