July 01, 2025

Ep88: Something is very wrong: how our distracted presence is ruining our relationships

38 minutes

On a scale from 1-5, how often do you feel like this?

I feel I have to sacrifice meaningful conversation because of others' device use.

I've given up expecting full attention from people during social interactions.

I miss the deeper conversations I used to have before smartphones.

I feel sad when I see someone I care about more engaged with their device than with me.

I worry that real human connection is disappearing. I feel isolated even when surrounded by people on their devices.

I don't know about you, but I can answer five a lot to a lot of those. And I imagine that probably most of us can.

I also know I'm part of the problem.

Sometimes, I feel like we're all zombies. We're here, but we're not....here. We live in our own realities even as we are physically present with others.

In this episode, I explore the profound impact of technology on human connection, particularly focusing on how smartphones and social media contribute to feelings of loneliness and disconnection. There's an interesting/terrifying parallel between the experiences of caregivers for those with neurodegenerative conditions and the feelings of isolation that arise from being physically present but emotionally absent in social interactions.

I'm not going to leave you hanging. I share some practical strategies for reconnecting with others and how to manage unhealthy dynamics of distracted presence.

Get on my email list, where I periodically share helpful tools for better habits, mindfulness, and general well being: https://morganmotsinger.myflodesk.com/subscribe

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By Morgan Motsinger

2121 ratings