From Elemental: “The changes we have seen in the incidence and severity of ‘mental illness’ know no boundaries. They exist in almost all industrialized countries. The common denominator is modern life itself. The more modern someone’s world becomes, the higher their risk of ‘mental illness.’ What is it about modern life — where time use, safety, and health have all been enhanced by technology — that is detrimental to psychic well-being? It seems like our stress levels should have gone down, not intensified.
In brief, the combination of social isolation and dependence on technology leaves us alone and trapped in our own minds. The more modern we are, the less connected we are to others and more reliant on devices.
Evolution has designed us to be entwined within groups of people and in constant contact with the physical world. Yet, today we find ourselves cut off from people as close as our families and as distant as familiar faces on our daily treks. Technology cuts us off from the physical world in favor of devices all of us use but very few of us really understand.”
