Deep down, we all know the answer.
But we prefer not to talk about it.
How long can you honestly go without checking your phone?
When was the last time you read a book without peeking at your notifications every five minutes?
Or had a deep, uninterrupted conversation – without glancing at your screen?³
We’re all quietly afraid of the truth.
Tech giants know exactly how to keep us hooked.
We’re no longer just using their apps.
We’ve become the product.
Every swipe, every like, every second online is making someone money.
But not you.
You’re paying with your attention.
You’re paying with your peace.
And ultimately, you’re paying with… yourself.
The symptoms are subtle, almost invisible.
But you can feel them.
That nagging sense you’re missing something when you’re offline.
The urge to instantly share everything – as if otherwise, it didn’t happen.
Constantly chasing validation.
Terrified of missing something important.
There’s a name for it: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
And it’s specifically designed to make you do exactly what these apps want:
Keep scrolling.
Social media and smartphones slip into our lives like a modern-day Trojan Horse.
They come with beautiful promises and useful features until we suddenly can’t imagine life without them.
That’s when the stress kicks in.
The fear of falling behind.
Constantly comparing yourself to others.
And always to the idealized version they choose to show.
But you know better:
Nobody’s life is that perfect.
Nobody’s.
That’s why we all feel a little lost.
We know better, yet we keep doing it anyway.
It’s no surprise yoga studios, mindfulness apps, retreats, and meditation centers are booming.
We’re all desperate for peace, balance, and meaning.
Not because it’s trendy, but because we literally can’t live without it anymore.
Because otherwise, we’ll lose ourselves.
The need for reflection and quiet has never been stronger.
We need it to reclaim our balance.
Maybe you feel it too:
That yearning to pause.
A moment free of distractions, without notifications.
Real silence.
Your silence.
“Anyone who desires slowness and silence
feels like a stranger in this age,
with its aggressive characteristics
called disruption, restlessness,
and consumption.”
Tommy Wieringa – Writer and Columnist4
(translated from Dutch)
3 Research shows that even a turned-off phone visible during a conversation measurably diminishes our happiness.
4 Tommy Wieringa 2017 – Tommy Wieringa, ‘Slowness is a Virtue’ (translated from Dutch), Leeuwarder Courant 2 September 2017, Sneon & Snein p. 17.
