When Technology Brings Us Closer Together

The impact of technology on our lives is often a polarizing subject- technology is depicted as evil or as the best thing that ever happened to humanity. However, it is neither of those things. In On! The Future of Now, Brooke Hammerling recounts a story where she was able to share an experience with a girl in Ethiopia who didn’t speak her language because of technology. When some would have chided her for even carrying her mobile phone with her, she knew that this experience would not have been possible without it.

Sometimes we can take things too far, such as when we are unable to ignore our devices at a dinner party with our closest friends. In her chapter, Brooke examines the need for balance as we integrate technology into our lives to truly maximize our relationships and experiences. Brooke explains:

“It’s not about being connected or being disconnected. It’s about using our connected lives for meaningful things — whether it’s productivity on the job or bringing us closer to family and friends both old and new.”

*This post is part of a series highlighting personal stories and key themes from our new book, On! The Future of Now. Order your copy of On! The Future of now here. Proceeds to support Charity: Water.

About Brooke Hammerling

Brooke Hammerling founded Brew Media Relations to provide media relations, strategy and networking to amazingly cool tech companies.

About On! The Future of Now

Published in partnership with Nokia and curated by Toby Daniels and Craig Hepburn, On! The Future of Now is a collection of essays and personal stories from leading thinkers, including best-selling author and entrepreneur Seth Godin; Cindy Gallop, founder of Make Love Not Porn; Jonah Peretti, founder and CEO of BuzzFeed and Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit. On! The Future of Now is available in eBook and paperback. To buy the book and support Charity: Water, click here.