I'm an ’87 baby, the iPhone didn't reach Australia until 2008, when I was 21.
By then I was working on cruise ships from Alaska to the Caribbean, where getting online meant dialling up in the ship's internet room.
If you were lucky, you'd squeeze in a couple of emails and a digital camera dump on to Facebook maybe twice a contract.
That’s twice in five or six months.
The only thing I scrolled was the Panama Canal lock wall, barnacles and all, from my cabin window.
My height of technology use, an underwater digital camera for snorkelling with turtles in Barbados.
Before that, Saturday mornings meant Rage or Video Hits, then tennis or netball for the day.
We were constantly out all day on rollerblades, scooters and bikes, exploring and creating.
Saturday night was often takeaway and Hey Hey It’s Saturday with the cousins.
We made up dances every family gathering followed by a stellar performance, of course.
Even movies or video games became interactive, I recall many live re-enactment Mortal Kombat rounds in our lounge room and everyone always had the same matching blisters in the centre of their palm from playing Nintendo 64 too hard.
We needed the padded bandages over those blisters so that we could still grip a tennis racquet.
The only media I recall my mum monitoring was Dolly magazine, mindful of its influence over young girls.
Everything else went straight onto the bedroom wall. Backstreet Boys, Hanson, NSYNC, ripped out and stuck up.
A MiniDisc player was the ultimate, and the iPod blew our minds. Gosh, the purity of it.
Open your phone today and it’s a different story.
Within seconds, you’re bombarded with graphic news, followed by how much protein you should be eating, a friend’s baby announcement, how you’re parenting wrong, then another stabbing, another shooting, and don’t forget to buy that course that will make you a millionaire (not).
Humans are not designed to take in the volume of information at the speed it’s delivered.
No wonder we're glitching like a dated computer with too many apps running.
I’m an empath and a problem solver, so not only does every devastating report hurt so much, but it sets my brain in constant loops trying to ‘fix’ what’s unfortunately all too broken.
I can’t just delete socials the way some friends have.
These platforms are tools I use for clients, and I need to be across the landscape.
My current attempt is structured use — desktop only, where possible — in work time frames.
Whether it’s for research or content creation, there’s a time limit with work-related consumption only.
The best mental health retreat in 2026 requires no packing, flights or accommodation, simply turn your phone off and go stick your head in the sand for a while.
It isn't ignorance.
It's survival.
Don’t rush back, everything will still be here when you return.
Heading into the busiest time of year, I’m going to try my hardest to put safety rails around my screen time to block out the noise.
What matters most are the people (and dogs) I love the most, and the precious time that we have together.
It’s easy to say, right? So now, to prove it.
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