How can we help everyone understand the connection between the environment, the responsible use of technology, and even our mental health?
Addiction to cell phones and social media has become part of everyday life. It’s not just teenagers who use them, but also people in their 70s and 80s who spend hours on YouTube or scrolling endlessly. We’re facing a reality that’s overwhelming us, and it’s hard to find role models who—without demonizing social media and the use of new technologies— can teach us to live in the present moment with wisdom and greater freedom.
Recently, the images from Nepal broke our hearts, and we were all deeply moved to see how that country—which is not responsible for the climate crisis—was a victim of that tragedy. In our daily lives, we know that the data centers of large tech, information, AI, and other companies are generating constant pollution. They’re using our precious water resources to cool their massive servers, and they’re also consuming enormous amounts of energy.
How can we help everyone understand the connection between the environment, the responsible use of technology, and even our mental health? Did you know that not using your cell phone for 2 hours before going to sleep improves the quality of your sleep? It’s been proven that not scrolling through your phone for one day a week leads to better concentration when reading or studying, and now the challenge is:
How can we, in practice, synthesize what we know and what our world needs to continue to survive? What choices will we make to defend our common home and the poorest among us? The challenge we face is to move from knowing to doing and from understanding to putting into practice.
Ester Palma, SEMD South Korea.
