More or less connected
June 13, 2025
He’s waiting at the school gate. She arrives, pigtails dancing, excited to see her dad’s face, bursting with stories of an action-packed day. He takes her backpack, and his attention turns to his phone. She runs ahead, no longer excited, stories untold.
She walks along the footpath on her way home from school. Camelias are bursting into bloom. Autumn leaves crunch underfoot. A troupe of cockatoos performs aerial acrobatics on the overhead powerline. A magpie warbles. None of this reaches her attention because she’s staring at her phone.
She’s walking along Pitt Street at lunch time. A heavy-set man almost walks right into her. At the last moment, he looks up, surprised to see someone in front of him on this crowded city street. He steps aside, no apology, and goes back to checking his phone.
They’re sitting at a table in the coffee shop. Six women, nicely dressed, perfumed to the hilt. Six cups of coffee, partly drunk. Six sets of eyes cast downwards. There is silence at the table. Then a chuckle. More silence as each one’s locks eyes with … her phone.
The battle is on. It’s the battle being played out in every household, every classroom, every workplace and nearly everywhere else. It’s the battle for our attention: humans and the natural world vs the device.
Who’s winning the battle in your world?
Here are some thoughts for the coming week.
- Can you go for a walk in nature without your device?
- Can you give your attention fully to another person without being interrupted by your device?
- Can you give your attention fully to the task at hand without being interrupted by your device?
- Can you relax and let your mind wander without being interrupted by your device?
- Would you like to?
Would you like help creating a device/life balance?
Let us help you create an individualised strategy for getting your device use where you’d like it to be. Discover how to take charge of your devices, instead of them taking charge of you.
Book a personalised consultation with us here.
What else can you do?
- Set up radiation-free equipment for safe internet use.
- Check out our long-sleeved shielding T-shirts for women here.
- Take a look at the latest issue of our free newsletter here.
- Forward this email to others so they can learn more, too.