I was innocently handed the iPhone4 during my pre-teen years. Since then, the world has watched my generation live our adolescent years on addictive technology. As the landscape changed, Gen Z witnessed skyrocketing rates of mental health and behavioural challenges, affecting wellbeing, health, and their growing young minds. The effects have played out since.

Now, at the click of a button, we have access to everyone’s intimate, mundane moments. Moments of varying intensities and topics. A myriad of information disguised as noise, dwindling our attention spans and ability to focus. Telling us that somehow we need another product to feel pretty. Feeding us messages that we’re too much, or not enough.

And through this, we’ve lost connection with ourselves, nature, people, and the world. Friction, discomfort and inconvenience has been engineered out of our lives. Our daily lives have become more sedentary, leaving us to forget the wonders of moving the body. We’ve lost the simple joys of life’s beauty, to a vast, virtual simulation of reality.

All this to say - I am convinced that technology has affected our search for wellbeing. It has created conditions for us to stay immobile, looking outwards, in rooms by ourselves.

We’re now at a point where we have a choice. We can stay where we are and continue to let the effects of screens have its consequences, especially on our youth, our Generation A. Or we can slowly but surely, make small changes. We can strengthen the capacity and connection we have towards us, and each other, and simultaneously hold our world with compassion, gentleness and care. Every step we take, we try our best, knowing that we’re human.

This is our work. I hope by 2030, we see a radically different world.

A technology driven world has heavily influenced our ability to find wellbeing.

so much love!

xx vivian