It is in fact the perfect metaphor of human nature. It takes all types to create the world we live in, and as such, technology exemplifies the current dynamics and dualities of our world at large. I believe by looking at the dualities we can become more aware of the
= caution that is necessary to practice in our daily lives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the power of making our lives easier and our work more efficient and yet it threatens to make some jobs obsolete. It has the power to create healing outcomes to diseases long unresolved and yet trick people towards their death using sophisticated methods. It depends entirely on our intentions and what we are driven to create and achieve.

Technology allows us to stay easily connected to those we love and provide emotional support with online support groups which can foster a sense of belonging, yet it endangers physical human connection. We can share our work easily with the wider world and yet it can distort self-perception and create a stark disconnect between online personas and our authentic selves. We have to be careful to stay aligned with reality when we engage with virtual realities and augmented experiences which may reshape how we perceive ourselves and our environment.

We are offered many sources of information on the Internet. Sources being the key word. We need to ensure that what we absorb is in fact useful to us and that we do not stoop to believe things without fact checking. Everyone can appear as an expert in today’s world. Fake news and a manipulation of actual events reimagined to change perception is sadly overwhelming.

Technology has made the clock move faster and given us less time to simply be. While we cannot imagine a world without smartphones, creating a discipline to use them as and when needed rather than becoming addicted to them would be wise. While we need them as a comfort in checking our health or listening to our podcasts or music is wonderful, allowing yourself to hear the birds sing has an even greater comfort, provided we allow ourselves to experience it.

Social media and information overload has caused issues of comparison and cyberbullying for our youth. It severely and negatively impacts their body image and self-esteem leading to anxiety and depression. We have to promote the methods that shape a cultivated mindset with values as opposed to the trends we are now seeing. A more regulated environment adopting strategies geared towards protecting mental health can only be if the intentions to create harmony and peace are widely held.

When we use the power of technology to enhance a positive message of peace, wellbeing, and harmony, we can actually create the energy to dispel the negatives that we are noticing. Rather than impair our attention span and dramatically increase feelings of loneliness or the fear of missing out, we need to consider the counterintuitive balance of sharing stories of goodness and wellbeing that nurture one’s emotional wellbeing. Rather than the fear of vulnerability or loss of control because of increased data collection and surveillance that undermines personal privacy, we create the tools that foster safety and healthy engagement.

There is so much possibility to unite mindsets and balance the narrative that spreads like wildfire across our world by mitigating it with wisdom. The beauty is that we have a global common voice through technology that gives us access and freedom to enable us to spread a healing and united front across the world. The question remains why we have not as yet been able to build those bridges rather than borders. Let’s work on it together.

To conclude, of course technology is profoundly shaping our sense of self and wellbeing – as well as planting fears in our mental health and safety. Dualities are everywhere. We have the tools for connection and growth, and yet we risk privacy, identity integrity, and cyberbullying. The impact depends entirely on who we are and the values we profess that will guide how it resides within us. We have a duty to navigate the digital landscape as we do our lives, consciously and responsibly.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe