This week’s episode explores a growing experience many people are living with: being constantly connected digitally, yet increasingly disconnected from real human contact.
Inspired by a powerful clip from writer Freya India, we reflect on how growing up in a fully digital world has quietly reshaped the way we relate, flirt, date, disagree, and build community. From dating apps to delivery apps, from scrolling to self-soothing, we believe the question isn’t necessarily whether technology is good or bad, but what it’s allowing us to avoid.
Todd brings the perspective of a therapist who remembers life before constant connectivity; I bring the lived experience of someone who has built friendships, community, and work online, and still sees how easily comfort can replace courage.
Together, we unpack how the internet can both expand and shrink our world, depending on how consciously we use it. This conversation isn’t about blaming screens or romanticising the past. It’s about reclaiming agency, presence, and real human contact in a world designed to keep us comfortable, distracted, and emotionally buffered.
You’ll learn how to:
Recognise when the internet is acting as a tool versus an emotional shield
Understand how comfort and convenience can quietly limit emotional resilience
See why boredom, tedium, and discomfort are essential for focus and growth
Identify when scrolling becomes a form of avoidance rather than rest
Reflect on how family dynamics and modelling shape our relationship to screens
Use technology intentionally without letting it replace real-world connection
Why this matters
We’re living through a loneliness epidemic in a world that promised endless connection. Many people feel anxious, disconnected, and unsure how to relate face-to-face.
This episode challenges the idea that the internet is the sole problem — and instead turns the lens inward, where the real leverage lives. When we understand why we reach for distraction, when we avoid discomfort, and how safety can turn into stagnation, we regain choice.
We believe emotional awareness is the new revolution. And our hope is that this conversation helps you notice where small, intentional shifts toward presence, courage, and human contact might change more than you think.
Timestamps
00:00 — Intro
01:00 — The Freya India clip that sparked this conversation
03:30 — The loss of spontaneous, organic connection
07:30 — Comfort zones and emotional development
12:00 — Is the internet the cause or the effect?
18:00 — Social media, escapism, and anxiety
22:30 — Parenting, modelling, and responsibility
30:00 — Why boredom is a developmental nutrient
34:00 — The core takeaway: reclaiming presence and choice
36:00 — Closing reflections
💬 Your turn to reflect
Where in your life are you choosing comfort over connection — and what might become possible if you stepped gently outside that zone?
📩 If this episode resonated, we’d love you to share it with someone who’s been feeling disconnected, overstimulated, or quietly lonely.
And if you’re enjoying the podcast and listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leaving a review really helps the show grow and reach more people. Thank you for supporting the work we do.
Resources & Mentions
🎥 What’s behind the Gen Z existential crisis? | Freya India, Myriam François, and James Tartaglia
🗣Freya India is the author of the Substack GIRLS, where she writes about the challenges girls and young women face in the modern world, and a staff writer for Jonathan Haidt’s newsletter, After Babel. She has also contributed to publications including The New Statesman, The Spectator, and The Free Press.
