TALK : Feb. 15, 2019 / 16:45 CET

Technology awareness in a digital world

Rob Holub

Technology awareness in a digital world

Human behavior is drastically changing as a result of communication technology. People are increasingly staring at their phones and posting on social media. Why? Is it a cry for attention? Are we wasting time and energy focusing on the wrong things? Why aren’t we living in the moment?

I grew up without a smartphone and remember a simple life full of freedom, harmony and compassion. But now I feel trapped in a virtual reality. Like many people I’ve met, I feel stressed and restless. Working hard to fulfill my dream of a music career in New York City, I am often overwhelmed by the expectation set by the new social rules. Are these expectations real or are we just tricked into spending more time on our screens? How are we supposed to cope with this technology invading our lives?

I am just an ordinary man with the same fears and financial struggles as everyone else. Yet my aim is to find some answers. I travel the world to meet different people and hear what they have to say hoping to find honesty and truth by talking to people face to face. I travel to cosmopolitan cities and remote places, meeting hardworking citizens to successful business people, from passionate artists to respected academics. The plan is to hear from Mark Zuckerberg and the Dalai Lama how they feel about the human consequences of social media.

“Searching for Contact” is a journey of reconnecting with reality and breaking free from the constraints of technology.