Why Mindful Digital Life?
“It’s so complicated.” “It’s a constantly moving target.” “Staying ahead of the curve seems impossible.” “I’m really tired of arguing.” “I can’t keep up.” “I know I am not modeling the behaviors I want my child to learn.” “It’s such a slippery slope once you enter but these are the tools this generation needs so we can’t just lock them out.” “All their peers zone out on their phones when they come over.” “I want my kids to enjoy technology AND love nature.” “I know I’d be more effective as a mentor than a micromanager but I don’t see how to get there.”
These are comments I hear a lot from parents when asked about the challenges they have with their kids, devices, and life online.
Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.
—John Kabat-Zinn
I especially appreciate “non-judgmentally” in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s classic definition of mindfulness. It’s so easy, even automatic, to become judgmental about our behavior in the digital realm—with ourselves, and with our kids…and that’s a great way to shut down dialogue and curiosity that lead to growth.
Practicing mindfulness helps to make “non-judgmental” our go-to (or at least we’ll notice sooner when we are being judgmental). We bring new awareness to our actions and grow more attentive to the choices available to us. We become the positive role models and mentors our kids need us to be amidst the pervasive pressures of the digital domain.
In my experience working with young people, families, and technology for over 30 years, mindfulness is one of the most important skills we can develop. I started Mindful Digital Life to support parents on the journey.
My work with parents and young people supports building new strengths within these four broad themes:
- Mindfully Digital/Always Learning—Critically engage technology.
- Authentic Connection—Nurture Co-Creative Conversations.
- Nature as Default—Grow your sense of place.
- Future by Design—Identify and clarify essential values and goals.
In my experience, engaged practice in these areas helps the seeds of Mindful Digital Life to blossom.
13 things about me
—dedicated nature/techno geek
—draw comics (for my friends and family) starring a rabbit and a tortoise
—lived off grid in a 100-year-old cabin with my daughter and her father in an oak dell
—co-founded proto-hacker labs in a beach town and in a large urban area
—produced videos about second order cybernetics and first generation cyberneticians
—apprenticed with several school founders beginning at age 20
—wrote a Citizen Science and Air Quality Monitoring curriculum (V.1)
—wrote a poem once upon a time about owl spit balls
—known in some parts as a Future of Learning visionary
—swam almost daily with my daughter and wild dolphins for a year
—sing every chance I get
—produced and filmed a documentary on zero waste initiatives in Fiji, shown at the UN
—presented on Creativity, Virtual Worlds & Inner Space at NASA Next Generation Exploration Conference ’06
