Examining Our Tech-dependent Lives

How Digital Life Diminishes Real Life Experiences

As I sit here with my iPhone glued to my face, finger-typing this article, I’m acutely aware of my own reliance on technology—not just for creating content for this newsletter, but also for teaching Zoom classes, staying connected with others, and unwinding with music and podcasts on my AirPods. From the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed, technology is a constant presence in my life.

Yet, it’s crucial that we not only consider the health impacts of technology but also recognize how our tech-dependent lives diminish real-world experiences.

For most of human history, people lived in close connection with nature. When John Muir said, “going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” he was expressing the idea that humans have an innate connection to nature, and returning to it feels familiar, like coming home.

However, over the past two hundred years, we’ve experienced a profound disconnect from the natural world as workers migrated from farms to factories and offices.

Advances in technology and our desire for comfort and convenience have also transformed how we spend our leisure time—mostly sitting indoors, bathed in the glow of blue screens rather than the warmth of sunlight. Today, the average American spends 90% of their life indoors, often in a state of idleness staring at screens.

When combined with the stress and uncertainty of the modern world, this shift has had a significant impact on mental health and well-being, especially among younger generations.

Unfortunately, corporations and lobbyists wield significant influence in our country, often prioritizing profits over public health. The tobacco industry (cigarettes) and the food and beverage industry (highly processed foods and sugary sodas) are prime examples.

As a result, it may take decades to fully grasp the long-term health effects of our digital dependency. However, I believe questioning our habits and raising awareness is a step in the right direction.

One of my favorite TED Talks, Why Bother Leaving the House by polar explorer Ben Saunders, touches on this very issue. At the start of his talk, Saunders poses a thought-provoking question to his young, tech-savvy audience:

“Does the constant supply of information (on our digital devices) steal our ability to imagine, or replace our dreams of achieving? After all, if it’s being done somewhere by someone and we can participate virtually, then why bother leaving your house?”

His question challenges us to consider how our sedentary, digital lives not only impact our health but may also limit our real-world experiences and aspirations. Our drive to seek new adventures, take risks, and explore the world—or even just open the door and step outside, as Saunders encourages—has diminished.

This raises more relevant questions:

Is a virtual, online experience truly as honest, open, and authentic as face-to-face relationships or the unpredictable, novel experiences of the outside world?

Can immersing yourself in a video game or a Zoom class ever compare to playing with friends on a wet, grassy field, feeling the wind on your face, or engaging in a group fitness class where energy and emotion are shared in real time?

I hope you see how life on screens can distance us from meaningful, real-world experiences. The absence of taste, touch, and smell—or even the raw feelings of “blood, sweat, and tears” shapes the depth and quality of what we experience.

Overcoming Our Dependency

As I grapple with my own dependence on technology, I’m also making a conscious effort to encourage others to engage in more authentic, real-life experiences. Our new Take It Outside series aims to inspire you to reduce screen time—spending more time outdoors with friends, embracing curiosity, taking more risks, and, most importantly, rethinking how much of our lives we spend staring at screens.

Another resource to help us become more aware of our screen time and prompt us to move more is the NPR series Body Electric

https://www.npr.org/series/1199526213/body-electric

Pulitzer Prize author, Annie Dillard once wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Isn’t it time we reflect on how we’re spending our days in this one precious life?

Related Articles

https://www.beresilientproject.com/finding-purpose-in-a-tech-dependent-world/

https://www.beresilientproject.com/are-you-languishing-try-cultivating-a-sense-of-adventure/

https://www.beresilientproject.com/get-out-of-your-head-and-into-your-life/