The Big Reconnect: Relations in Our Digital Post-Pandemic World

In an era of digital mediation and global isolation, our connections—to each other, to our environment, and to ourselves—have become increasingly fragmented. The convergence of digital technology and the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically reshaped how we perceive and interact with the world around us [1,2].

The Illusion of Connection

Our digital age creates a powerful illusion of connectivity. Screens offer windows into distant worlds, but they simultaneously construct barriers to genuine engagement. Unlike virtual realms we can enter and exit (i.e., VR, AR, MR) , the natural environment is our continuous, unavoidable context—sustaining us through fundamental ecological processes that persist regardless of our digital interactions [3]. Simulation technologies, like digital twins, are revolutionizing engineering and system management for the better, but applying a similar mindset to inter-personal and ecological connection cannot adequately replace natural visceral experiences.

Pandemic-Induced Disconnection

The global lockdowns transformed our understanding of connection. What began as necessary isolation evolved into a profound experiment in detachment:

• Work, education, and social relationships compressed into virtual interfaces

• Reduced physical interactions with both human networks and natural environments

• Increased psychological distance from tangible experiences [4,5]

Strategies for Holistic Reconnection

1. Family and Community Ecological Engagement

   Organize collective nature experiences

   Develop intergenerational environmental learning programs

   Create community conservation initiatives [6,7]

2. Mindful Technology Integration

   Use digital tools to enhance, not replace, physical interactions

   Develop platforms that facilitate environmental awareness

   Create hybrid models of engagement valuing both virtual and physical experiences [8]

3. Intentional Environmental Interactions

   Prioritize direct experiences in natural spaces

   Reduce consumption of virtual goods

   Advocate for sustainable policies

   Integrate hands-on ecological education [9,10]

The Interdependence of Our Connections

Our challenge is recognizing that environmental, social, and personal well-being are fundamentally interconnected. The soil fertility, coral reefs, global economy, international diplomacy, and family bonds share a crucial characteristic: they require consistent nurturing and genuine engagement [11].

The pandemic revealed our vulnerability to disconnection, and its persistent consequences:

• Increased rates of anxiety and depression

• Diminished sense of collective resilience

• Reduced connection to local ecosystems [12,13]

A Call to Conscious Engagement

Technology should be a bridge, not a barrier. Our digital tools can help us coordinate, learn, and communicate more effectively while maintaining the physical authenticity of our relationships—with each other and with the environment [14].

The environment is not a virtual entity, a background setting, or a resource for utilization. It is our tangible, living context—the foundation that makes all experiences possible. By consciously choosing to reconnect, we can transform technological isolation into an opportunity for deeper, more meaningful engagement.

Our future depends on reimagining our connections as dynamic, reciprocal relationships that extend beyond digital interfaces into the living world around us.

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References

1. Ding H, et al. Pandemic and digital divide: Impacts of COVID-19 on communication infrastructure. IEEE Access. 2020;8:204785-204796.

2. Skarlatidou A, Ciravegna F. Digital technologies and human interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Big Data & Society. 2021;8(1):20539517211024748.

3. Rockström J, et al. A safe operating space for humanity. Nature. 2009;461(7263):472-475.

4. Brooks SK, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet. 2020;395(10227):912-920.

5. Hawryluck L, et al. SARS control and psychological effects of quarantine, Toronto, Canada. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2005;10(7):1206-1212.

6. Louv R. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books; 2008.

7. Clayton S, et al. Transformation of experience: Toward a person-centered conservation psychology. Conservation Letters. 2017;10(5):645-651.

8. Hilty LM, Aebischer B, eds. ICT Innovations for Sustainability. Springer; 2015.

9. Carson R. Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin; 1962.

10. McKibben B. Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? Henry Holt and Co; 2019.

11. Lovelock J. Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence. Allen Lane; 2019.

12. Parham S. Food and Urbanism: The Convivial City and a Sustainable Future. Bloomsbury Publishing; 2016.

13. Nixon R. Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor. Harvard University Press; 2011.

14. Steffen W, et al. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science. 2015;347(6223):1259855.