Reconnecting in a Distracted World

by Sunita Soundur, Climate Action Coordinator at Zero Carbon Harrogate

I just finished reading Jonathan Haidt’s ‘The Anxious Generation’, a book that has sparked debate about screens, social media and their impact – particularly on teenagers and young people whose brains are still very much developing. There is talk about banning social media and phones at schools so that children’s budding minds and attention spans can be reclaimed, to focus on their education.  

But the insights from this book doesn’t just apply to kids – there are lessons for adults too. It reflects something many of us recognise more broadly: how easy it is to feel constantly connected online yet disconnected from the world around us. 

Louis Theroux’s recent documentary exploring how young boys are being recruited to the ‘manosphere’ via platforms like Tik Tok by older but still young men who feel rejected by society and unsure of what being a ‘man’ in modern society even means in 2026, shows us what can happen when we spend too much time online, with boys absorbing content dictated by algorithms that promote outrage and offence, often with monetary rewards attached for the content creators.  

‘iHuman’ another documentary (available on BBC’s Storyville series) tells a chilling story about the latest revolution in the tech world: AI and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), something we’ve readily adopted without question, and useful in many ways but may also hold the key to why the world feels so divided and unpredictable. The programmes talk about AGI as an invisible power controlling what (political) content people see, which is significantly impacting our world.  

Three seemingly different topics, but all linked to our online world.  

This isn’t about rejecting technology. It’s about noticing what helps us feel grounded. Wondering whether our constant quest for bigger, better, faster, stronger is going end our reign in society as it exists now, and kill our humanity towards others.  

It sounds dystopian right? But reading, watching and listening to what’s happening in society; it doesn’t seem that far off to predict our demise.  

Local places, nature and engaging with people play a quiet but powerful role. A brief chat at the shop. A familiar face behind the counter. A silent ‘greeting nod’ or polite smile with a stranger. These everyday moments create a sense of belonging that’s hard to replicate online – and in a fast-moving, fragmented world, these snippets matter far more than we might realise.  

These ‘moments of humanity’ sit at the heart of strong communities. They can’t be felt through a screen or via AI; humans need real, in-person relationships and experiences.  

When people feel connected to where they live, they’re more likely to care for it – and for each other. That sense of connection is essential when it comes to tackling bigger challenges – including climate change. 

Working with multiple people via my role as a local Climate Action Coordinator with Zero Carbon Harrogate, I see how real change grows from the ground up and from being with and talking to people. Conversations turn into ideas. Ideas turn into action. Whatever the project; partnering with people in the community is what makes climate action possible – and hopeful. We know that real-world connection supports mental wellbeing, helping reduce loneliness and anxiety. We know we’re not built to sit staring at computers all day, and that new terms such as ‘brain rot’ have emerged because of many of us staring and swiping at our phones for hours on end.  

Sure, digital spaces have their place, but they can’t replace being together, in the same room, working towards something positive. 

So as summer approaches, and we see more sunlight, whether you’re a kid or an adult, I encourage you to get off your phone, go outside and connect with someone.  

These warmer months taking us from Spring into Summer, offer a chance to gently rebalance. To look up, slow down, and reconnect with our communities. Not perfectly. Just intentionally. 

Because caring for each other – and our world – often starts close to wherever we call home.