The Price Is the Soul?
By Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch
Prince once warned: “Don’t let the computer use you. There’s a war going on, the battlefield is the mind, and the prize is the soul.”
Back then, the internet was clunky and slow. Today it’s instant, always on, and always asking for more of our attention.
Teenagers in New York are choosing to step away from their phones. Not because they dislike technology, but because they’ve noticed how constant scrolling leaves them drained.
In some circles, being offline has become a status symbol. A digital detox is no longer seen as backward, but as a smart investment in focus and well-being.
Doctors agree: disconnecting can sharpen attention, reduce stress, and strengthen relationships.
Life without the internet is not ancient history—it was the human default until just a few decades ago. People worked, loved, and organized entire societies without notifications or likes.
Yuval Noah Harari—one of today’s brightest minds—suggests we need an “information diet.” He spends long stretches offline, often in meditation, because he believes more information isn’t always better.
He argues that “the idea that more information is always good for you… is ridiculous,” likening it to believing “more food is always good for you."
Food for thought
Connection without control leads to burnout. Technology with boundaries can bring balance. Offline time helps protect attention and focus. Do phones expand compassion by connecting us more widely, or does the negativity of social media cancel out that potential? The answer may depend less on the devices themselves than on the spaces we create around them. If we can protect our attention, perhaps we can also protect our capacity for compassion.