Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence?

Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence?

Author: Gareth King November 29, 2025 Duration: 51:25
Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
TechnologyScienceSociety & Culture

With its constant presence and insatiable demand for attention, has the internet invaded our offline spaces - diminishing our ability to be truly present and eroding the quality of our in-person experiences?

We're joined by Emily Toner - clinical psychologist and international expert in mindfulness, eco-psychology, and mental health - who understands better than most what we lose when we're physically present but digitally elsewhere.

Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.

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Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/

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In this episode we investigate how constant digital distraction is eroding the quality of our in-person relationships, examine the concept of phubbing and what it's actually doing to the people around us, explore the tension between the state of doing and the state of being in a world that never switches off, and ask whether genuine presence is still possible in a digitally saturated life.

00:00 - The internet's impact on social interaction and presence

05:06 - Why social connection matters more than we admit, and what technology is costing us

09:55 - How our definition of social interaction has shifted in the digital age

14:51 - The distraction of technology in social settings: what we're missing

20:03 – Phubbing: the new social norm nobody wants to talk about

24:48 - The state of doingness versus beingness, and why the internet keeps us stuck

28:09 - The importance of community connections in a digitally fragmented world

35:37 - How digital interactions are changing the nature of real relationships

39:22 - AI and the future of human connection: comfort or catastrophe?

46:25 - Practical strategies for healthier social interactions in a tech-driven world

Guest links - Emily Toner

Website: https://www.emilytoner.com

Podcast: https://pod.link/1828836798

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilytoner_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilytonerconsulting/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-toner-27413336/


It’s a question that nags at anyone who’s ever felt a pang of nostalgia or a wave of digital fatigue: are we better or worse off because of our constant connection? Hosted by Gareth King, Ruined By The Internet? digs into that uneasy feeling, moving beyond simple headlines to explore how our online world actively moulds society, culture, and the texture of daily life. This isn’t about reviewing apps or gadgets; it’s about treating the digital realm as the pervasive environment it has become. Each episode features thoughtful conversations with leading thinkers and researchers from around the world, dissecting the real evidence behind our shared anxieties and hopes. You’ll hear nuanced discussions that ask whether the casualties we often blame on technology are inevitable, or if we’re simply misdiagnosing deeper societal shifts. This podcast provides a space for considered reflection, offering listeners a clearer lens through which to view their own place in a world that is, for better or worse, thoroughly wired.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 30

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Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
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