Technology is changing us. Let’s pay attention.
Technology is changing almost every part of our lives. How we think, feel, connect with others and experience the world.
Many of us have started questioning our relationship with it and have deliberately tried to step back and use it more consciously. It leads to fascinating insights, but also raises new questions.
We’re navigating changes that are still not fully understood. The Conscious Tech Observatory is a place to explore these questions together.
We observe, experiment, share what we discover and look for patterns. We want to understand the influence technology has on us and how it can benefit our lives, not reject it.
Join the community ↗Why this matters
Our relationship with technology is complicated.
We rely on it for work, communication, entertainment and connection. Yet the same devices that make life easier can consume our attention, reinforce compulsive behaviours and leave us feeling less present in our own lives.
Technology doesn’t affect everyone in the same way, and there’s no single answer to what a healthy relationship with it looks like.
What if we looked more closely at what’s happening? What if we experimented with different ways of relating to technology, learned from our experiences and shared what we found?
The questions are personal, psychological and societal, and they’re worth exploring together.
Beyond the usual advice
Typical strategies, such as limiting screen time, turning off notifications, taking breaks, using grayscale and willpower can work, but they don’t necessarily explain why we keep reaching for our phones, why stepping away can feel so difficult, or what role technology plays in our emotional lives.
The Observatory goes deeper.
We explore compulsive use, attention, emotional regulation, relationships, attachment, addiction, technology design and the environments shaping our behaviour. We draw on personal experience, research and ideas from psychology, philosophy and spirituality.
The aim is to look beyond managing screen time and understand the relationship itself.
How the Observatory works
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Observe
Pay attention to how technology affects your thoughts, feelings, behaviour and relationships. Notice what normally goes unnoticed.
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Experiment
Try changing how, when or why you use technology. Explore what happens when you step back, change your environment or respond differently to the urge to reach for your phone.
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Share
Exchange experiences, questions, ideas and research with others. You don’t need to be an expert or have everything figured out.
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Learn
Look for patterns, challenge assumptions and develop a deeper understanding of how technology shapes us, and how we might shape our relationship with it.
The community is an ongoing investigation. We don’t have a programme with a predetermined answer. Different experiences and perspectives are part of what makes it valuable.
What would a healthier relationship with technology look like?
Progress might mean feeling less compelled to check your phone, becoming more comfortable with boredom, being more present with other people or recognising when you’re using technology to avoid something uncomfortable.
For someone else, it might mean discovering which technologies genuinely improve their life and using them with greater intention.
The point isn’t to follow a set of rules or abandon technology altogether. It’s to understand its effects, recognise our own patterns and develop more freedom in how we choose to use it.
Awareness is the first step.
We’re all part of the experiment.
The more we observe, experiment and share, the more we can learn from one another.
Join the community ↗FAQs
What is the Observatory?
A community for shared exploration, discussion and experimentation.
What do members do?
Observe, experiment, share experiences and ideas, discuss research and learn from one another.
Who is it for?
Anyone curious about technology’s effects, whether personally affected by compulsive use or interested in the wider psychological and social questions.
Is it anti-technology?
No. The focus is on understanding technology and developing a more conscious relationship with it.
Do I need expertise or a problem to join?
No. Curiosity is enough.
How much time do I need to commit?
As much or as little as you like. There’s no schedule or obligation. Read along, join in when something interests you, or just watch for a while.
Where does the community meet?
In a Telegram group. Join the community here.
Is it a private or confidential space?
It’s a private group you join through an invite link. Other members can see what you post, so share only what you’re comfortable with, and please keep what others share within the group.
The Conscious Tech Observatory
A community exploring how technology affects our lives, what happens when we use it more consciously, and how we can shape our relationship with it.
Join the community ↗