Patricio V Marquez
                          January 3, 2025

                                          Pour avoir si souvent dormi 
                                                Avec ma solitude
                                  Je m'en suis fait presque une amie 
                                               Une douce habitude
                                        Elle ne me quitte pas d'un pas 
                                             Fidèle comme une ombre
                                                Elle m'a suivi çà et là 
                                        Aux quatres coins du monde
                                            Non, je ne suis jamais seul 
                                                Avec ma solitude....
 

                                         (For having slept so often  
                                              With my loneliness
                                          I almost made a friend of her  
                                              A sweet habit
                                        She doesn't leave me for a single step 
                                             Faithful as a shadow
                                        She followed me here and there 
                                            To the four corners of the world
                                        No, I'm never alone 
                                            With my loneliness…)       

                                             "Ma Solitude"

                                  Song by Georges Moustaki (1969)

As we welcome 2025, this is an opportune time to reflect on the past year, look ahead to what lies in the new year, and consider how we are evolving as individuals and as a society. 

Here I delve on the pervasive influence of digital technology in our lives, which is impacting people of all age groups, social classes, and geographies. 

The Ubiquity of Screen Time and Its Maladies

Screen time has become an integral part of modern life. We spend several hours each day engaging with smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, and televisions, often with all of them at the same time. Our growing attachment and use of these devices is reshaping the way we live, work, and communicate. While these technological innovations have brought us unparalleled convenience and connectivity, as experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, accumulated evidence suggests that beyond being a simple distraction, extensive screen time is linked to a wide range of physical and mental pathologies. 

Physically, prolonged screen use contributes to conditions such as digital eye strain, characterized by discomfort and vision problems. The blue light emitted by screens disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to poor sleep quality and insomnia. Additionally, sedentary behavior associated with extended screen use increases the risk of chronic conditions, including obesity and cardiovascular disease.  Distracted driving due to talking or texting on a smartphone, or using the phone as a navigation system, also increase significantly the risk of traffic injuries and deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States, texting is the most alarming distraction as sending or reading a text takes the driver eyes off the road for 5 seconds, and at 55 mph, that is like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

Mentally, the impacts are equally concerning. Extended screen time has been associated with heightened anxiety and depression. Cognitive functions also suffer, with evidence pointing to impaired memory, reduced focus, and diminished critical thinking ability.

The constant barrage of e-mails, text messages, social media feeds, and a 24/7 news cycle demand our constant attention, reducing our capacity to engage meaningfully with the world around us. Frequent interruptions and the pressure to multitask negatively impact on the quality of our work output. Research suggests that this avalanche of information is even rewiring our brains, making it harder to sustain our attention span and concentration for extended periods. This environment can lead to increased stress, as individuals feel compelled to respond immediately to emails and messages, often resulting in burnout.

The Loneliness Epidemic

Paradoxically, despite being more connected than ever through digital platforms, many people report feeling lonely. Loneliness is now considered a significant public health issue with potentially steep social costs, including early mortality and a wide array of serious physical and emotional problems.

In a recent report, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, observed that even before the COVID-19 pandemic, about one-in-two adults in the country reported experiencing loneliness. While saving lives, the social distancing measures that were adopted to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus exacerbated isolation and loneliness, particularly among the youth. A lack of in-person interactions was one key factor, as virtual connections often lack the depth and emotional effect of face-to-face relationships. Families report diminished quality time, with iPhones and television competing for attention during meals and conversations. Friendships and romantic relations suffer from a similar dynamic, where physical presence is replaced by a virtual one that lacks emotional depth.  Social media adds to the problem, as constant exposure to curated content fosters feelings of inadequacy and exclusion. Urbanization and lifestyle changes, such as busy schedules and fragmented communities, further reduce opportunities for meaningful social engagement.

Decline of Reading and Active Listening 

Endless scrolling and digital distractions are also displacing the simple joy of reading.  Survey data from countries such as the UK suggest that half of adults in the country do not regularly read for pleasure.  More ominous, the accompanying report by the charity the Reading Agency, titled The State of the Nation’s Adult Reading, said that young adults were less likely to read than all other age groups, with the 16- to 24-year-old age group reporting the lowest level of regular readers (32 percent), with nearly a quarter saying they have never been regular readers and 44 percent saying they are lapsed readers. In contrast, 62 percent of adults 55 and over said they read regularly, which was defined as reading at least once a week. Social media distraction, lack of time and difficulty focusing are factors attributed to the decline of leisure reading   Neuroscientists caution that the declining time spent on regular reading—a learned skill as our brains are not innately programmed to read— negatively impacts our capacity for empathy, critical thinking, self-reflection, and creativity.

The same distractions that pull us away from books have dulled another essential skill: listening. In a recent interview, Dame Evelyn Glennie, a world-renowned percussionist and advocate for “teaching the world to listen,” observed that true listening is increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced, visually driven culture. Constant digital rings and beeps, and the superficiality of reality shows in television, erode our ability to be present and fully attentive, hence, to connect, communicate, and understand others. 

Indeed, she emphasizes the need to foster a culture of listening as an invaluable tool to repair our social fabric which is increasingly torn by misinformation and polarized opinions. She suggests starting in schools, where children can be taught the importance of being present, understanding others, and reflecting before responding. Such foundational skills, if adopted broadly, could ripple out into society, enabling more effective communication, reducing conflicts, and building mutual respect. In Glennie’s words, creating a culture of listening and understanding could play a significant role in addressing not just personal disconnects but also global conflicts. She challenges us to imagine a society where disagreements are met with respect and thoughtful dialogue rather than hostility—a world where listening becomes a tool for peace and progress.

What to Do?  

Addressing these interconnected social challenges requires both an individual and a collective response, beginning with small but intentional changes. Promoting digital well-being is an essential first step. Encouraging screen-free times or digital detox periods can help individuals regain balance, while apps and tools designed to monitor and limit screen use can provide support.  Enhancing focus in both personal and professional settings is equally important. Creating workplace environments that support concentrated work, such as designated no-interruption times and no meeting days, can make a significant difference. Additionally, educating individuals on mindfulness and time-management techniques can foster better focus and reduce stress.

Reading also offers a powerful antidote to the shallow engagement encouraged by digital media. The habit of reading, a pleasurable activity in itself, can reduce stress, improve focus, and nurture imagination. For those looking to rebuild their “reading muscles,” as cited in a recent Financial Times article, bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud suggests starting small. Short stories, novellas, and audiobooks can be effective gateways to a renewed reading habit. She also emphasizes the value of creating dedicated reading spaces and maintaining a journal to internalize insights. Such small adjustments can make reading an integral part of daily life once more.

These individual efforts must be complemented by broader systemic changes. As highlighted above, a culture of listening needs to be fostered as a path to deeper connections and mutual understanding. By paying attention and being present, we can foster relationships built on empathy and trust. Schools can promote and reinforce the value of reading and listening from an early age, empowering children with the tools to navigate a digitally saturated world. Workplaces can promote healthier relationships with technology by encouraging work-life balance and offering training on mindful digital use. At the policy level, regulating digital advertising and app design to minimize addictive features is another crucial societal measure.

To effectively combat loneliness, we need to understand, as researchers have suggested, that “loneliness may be just the tip of the iceberg”, as there are other underlying issues that contribute to it: alienation and isolation, distrust and disconnection and above all, a sense that many of the institutions and traditions that once held us together are less available to us or no longer of interest.  This challenge demands sustained efforts to adapt and support the development of new community-building initiatives and leveraging technology for developing meaningful connections. Participating in group activities can encourage social interaction, while virtual support groups or hobby clubs provide alternatives for those unable to engage in person.

And, as suggested in a recent OECD report, strategies to improve community relations might also involve urban design that encourages safety and social interactions, addressing the uneven burden of unpaid work often carried by women, and expanding political representation of those with lived experience of mental ill-health. Such measures can reduce emotional exhaustion, foster stronger social networks, and broaden civic participation, all of which are essential for both preventing mental health issues and promoting community well-being.

Takeaways

As we move into 2025 and beyond, I feel that it is crucial that we focus on the above trends,  raise our collective awareness, and take action to establish  a more humane balance in this digital age, where kindness, compassion, and caring for others are the widely accepted norm, shaping behaviors and guiding interactions in all spheres of our collective lives.  

So, let’s keep in mind that decency matters, as do meaningful social connections fostered through relationships and interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors.

Source of Images:

First image: Stock Photo ID: 2474208529.  Social media and digital online concept, man using smart phone. 

Second image:  Stock Photo ID: 1549657265.  Teenagers addiction to new technology trends.