We were not meant to live this way.
Preserving human nature in a technological civilisation
At this point, we’re all too aware of the detrimental impact of spending too much time on our phones. This isn’t new information - we know it makes us more anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. It disrupts our focus and attention spans, is addictive and compulsive, and leaves us feeling disconnected. Each time we tell ourselves we’re going to put down our phones - and each time we fail - we lose confidence in ourselves, and it chips away at our self-esteem. We feel disappointed for being pulled in again, and it leaves us feeling weak and helpless, as if we have no autonomy over our own lives.
You may even feel anger (I know I do), because what we are experiencing is an addiction. For many other addictions, support is offered, governments intervene, and the problem and its negatives are openly talked about. We know smoking, gambling, and drinking are addictive, but what’s different about this addiction is that it’s encouraged. It’s normalised, even incentivised. Technology is being more and more integrated with our daily lives, so much so that it feels as if we’ll never be able to leave our house again without carrying around our phones. Phones begin to feel necessary for survival in modern life. And attempting to disengage feels futile, so it seems easier to accept your fate and allow your attention and health to be exploited for profit.
But this year, something feels different. For years, the pace of technological development has outrun our cultural, ethical and psychological preparation. But with AI advancing so rapidly, it feels as though we’ve entered a pivotal moment. We’re about to have our way of life turned upside down once again by technology, before we’ve even recovered from the effects of what’s already here.
Up until now, technology has mostly challenged our physical and mental reality, but now it’s beginning to alter our spiritual reality. We are all intuitively reacting to a friction. We sense that our value and our nature are under attack, yet we struggle to articulate it or to organise ourselves well enough to defend it.
This misuse of technology is no longer just detrimental on an individual level; it now impacts our communities and soon our species as a whole. This is THE most fundamental issue for our future. To prevent further harm and to begin reversing some of the damage already done, we need to clearly and plainly identify exactly what we’re dealing with. Only then can we start developing strategies to defend ourselves.
And so the purpose of this guide is to bring you onto the same page as me: to clearly and actionably identify the problem, and explore how we can solve it. Once you fully understand the challenge we’re facing, I hope you’ll feel as passionate and motivated to change it as I do.
The important thing to remember throughout all of this is that we do still have control over our choices. It may feel impossible to reverse the course, but it is absolutely possible to lessen its impact and reclaim the freedom and balance that misused technology has taken from us.
The problem:
The problem is not technology itself, but that modern life increasingly requires us to live in abstraction rather than reality. We observe more than we experience, we record more than we remember, we consume more than we create, and we react more than we reflect.
Over time, this results in a feeling of friction in our everyday lives. Life feels hollow and empty, as if it’s happening alongside us rather than through us. This friction arises because modern life is fundamentally misaligned with our human nature. It’s been creeping in steadily over many years, but now its effects have drifted so far from what we are meant to be doing that we intuitively sense we’re on the brink. In short, life feels passive, artificial, psychologically corrosive and heavy.
It’s a sad realisation because we only have one attempt at living on this earth, and what a beautiful opportunity it is. Why have we collectively agreed to trade our human experience for observation and passiveness?
It’s not because we are lazy or weak. It’s because the systems we live within reward disconnection: speed over depth, efficiency over meaning. When these incentives are repeated enough times, they begin to shape not only our behaviour but also our values.
Why do we feel friction?
Humans evolved to live in bodies, in physical environments. We’re supposed to rely on our direct experience and connect in real life through shared stories and values. When life drifts too far from our intrinsic nature, something inside us resists. We may not be able to easily identify and articulate what that feeling is, but we know it feels wrong. It feels as if something is missing - and that sense is vital. It’s our memory, our connection to the truth.
The resistance you feel against technology is not a weakness; it’s a reflexive strength trying to steer you away from things that harm us.
What gets lost when we live this way…
You’re already living out the repercussions of a life lived in passiveness. Our natural urge to create has been dulled, our inner authority has weakened, and we outsource our thinking to algorithms. Most painfully, we’ve lost connection with eachother. Truth has become fragmented, and the people around you live in parallel worlds. Not because we disagree, but because our realities are different. We’re no longer living in the same story. We’re not seeing the same things as those immediately around us, and so our attempts to connect fall flat.
If the problem is living a life that is misaligned with our human nature, then the solution is simple: to recognise, protect and actively preserve what makes us human.
What it means to preserve your human nature
We don’t need to reject modern life and technology (although it would be nice…), but we must work harder to anchor ourselves in what is real. We need to live in our bodies, not just in our minds. We must take control of our attention, nurture our creativity and restore our shared reality by means of prioritising real-world connection. We must take the time to identify and act in alignment with our values and purpose. When we do this, life will feel harmonious, effortless and aligned.
Returning to reality…
Key things to remember:
Reality is physical, not digital. Your body needs real-world input: sunlight, movement, texture, sound, weather. Screens are representations of life, not life itself. Digital spaces mute our experience. They reduce the world to images, symbols, metrics and content. When you spend time physically present, you restore something essential. Prioritise physical environments and experience them fully with all of your senses.
Attention decides your life. What you consistently give attention to becomes your inner world. If your attention is constantly interrupted or externally controlled, your inner life reflects this. Meaning and depth requires continunity and presence. In other words, if you don’t choose your attention, something else will. Your attention should be guarded and leveraged strategically with intention.
Identify your values. If you don’t define what matters to you, you hand authority to the systems around you. Decide what truly matters to you, not what’s rewarded, trending or expected. Modern systems (algorithms, markets, culture) tell you what to care about. If you don’t consciously define your values, you end up living by somebody elses - which creates internal friction. That friction is misalignment, when your life on the outside doesn’t match your truth on the inside. Values are the compass that stops you drifting into someone else's life.
Purpose simplifies life. When you know why you’re here, decisions become easier. Purpose isn’t about a grand ambition but about orientation. When you know what you’re here to protect, create or serve, you gain clarity. And with clarity comes ease.
Connection restores shared reality. True connection isn’t just being around people - it’s feeling understood. We’re increasingly exposed to fragmented realities - different feeds, narratives and ‘truths’. When the people immediately around us stop sharing a common understanding of the world, we feel disconnected. We’ve evolved to be surrounded by people who share our reality (but not necessarily our perspective). Seek conversations that prioritise understanding over winning, and listen for truth, not validation.
Here’s something amazing…
Despite all of this societal conditioning, something in us still resists. The harmony we experience when we’re in nature, when we connect, find purpose, and truth, is exactly what it is to be human. This is what reminds us that life doesn’t have to be struggled through; it needs to be re-entered.
If this resonates with you, you’re not alone, and you’re not behind. We’re all waking up to the slow erosion of our nature - but the good news is that once we’ve begun to reclaim our human experience, each small moment grounded in reality is a beautiful reminder of why it’s worth preserving.
Next Steps
Over the next year, my goal is to live as fully grounded in reality as possible. I plan to do this by spending my time intentionally and prioritising presence over distraction. I want to build skills and develop mindfulness through hobbies, invest in real-world relationships, spend time outdoors and create space to think clearly about what I value and why.
And I would love you to join me.
The simplest way to join is through email. It’s free - and of course, you can unsubscribe at any time. I’ve chosen email intentionally as it allows me to write openly and honestly without optimising my thoughts for algorithms or performance. Most of what I share will live here on the website, which is also available for you to read at your own pace. The emails are simply a way to stay connected - a little reminder of the shared commitment to live more deliberately, and a space where I can hear your thoughts too.
I want to share practical guides, reflections, and ways to turn intention into action. Ways to protect our attention, restore connection and live with greater clarity and meaning.
This is a quiet protest, but an important one.
Are you in? Yes? Let’s go!!
Laura xx
