The Dead Time we Willingly Spend.

In today’s world, there’s a noticeable contrast between the time we spend in the real world and the time we spend on screens. It’s now entirely normal to spend not only most of our working hours but also a significant portion of our leisure time glued to one screen or another. There’s no doubt that this digital shift has transformed our lives in profound ways, from defining friendship to dictating where we live.

We’re also more aware than ever of the potential harms of online life, particularly with social media.

In Digital Downsize, I explore how being constantly online has affected our concentration, decision-making, and self-esteem. I’ve also discussed how social media fuels the rise of identity politics, deepening divides rather than fostering understanding. But today, I want to focus on something simpler, yet equally significant: dead time.

I define dead time as those moments when we stare at a screen with no real purpose, only to find ourselves re-emerging into the real world hours later, wondering where the time has gone. This might sound troubling, but it’s not entirely negative. In fact, zoning out can sometimes be a form of modern meditation, a way to switch off after a long day. Scrolling through social media or watching videos can help us unwind.

But the real question is: how much dead time is too much? And what impact is it having on our lives? I think it’s important to take a step back and consider how we feel after long periods of screen time, and how that compares to the way we feel after spending time in the real world, engaging with people or activities that stimulate us.

Reflect on your own memories: how many involve staring at a screen? How many of your meaningful moments centre around your phone or laptop? If you’re like me, probably none. A few years ago, I realised that despite spending so much time online, none of my memories were tied to those moments. Instead, my memories were of real-world experiences—conversations, laughter, places I visited, and emotions I felt. This led me to wonder just how much of life we’re allowing to slip by in this sea of dead time.

Of course, I realise this might be a generational thing. If you’re younger, perhaps your memories do include significant screen-time moments—meaningful online conversations or virtual experiences. If so, I’d love to hear about it. But for me, those stickers I used to see growing up that said, “Live Life, This Is Not a Rehearsal” feel more relevant now than ever.

Today, more and more people seem content to spend large chunks of their lives in dead time, willingly allowing hours to disappear into the digital void. We sit down with our phones or laptops, intending just a quick look, and before we know it, three hours have passed. While this can be relaxing, we need to consider when relaxation turns into wasted time. How many real-life moments are we missing by letting ourselves slip into the ease of screen life?

This brings up a bigger, more worrying point: are we now living in an era where screen life feels more real than real life? The digital world is designed to be enticing. It’s bright, oversimplified, and easy to digest. Meanwhile, the real world is messy, complex, and full of challenges. For many, it’s clear why they would prefer the comfort of the digital space—there’s less friction. But at what cost?

Increasingly, people are turning to the internet for what they see as their quality of life, while the real world is becoming their version of dead time. It’s a troubling shift and perhaps highlights the convenience of living online compared to facing the demands of the real world. But this trend raises important questions: Are we truly living if most of our time is spent in front of a screen? Are we sacrificing real, meaningful experiences for a digital escape?

Yet, I believe that deep down, our minds can still tell the difference between what’s real and what’s virtual. The most valuable memories, the ones that stay with us, are made in the real world—through physical interactions, tangible environments, and shared experiences. That’s where true life happens, where genuine connections are formed, and where we discover the most authentic version of ourselves.

So, while dead time may offer a momentary escape, we need to be mindful of how much it’s consuming our lives. It’s worth asking: are we living, or are we allowing the comfort of the digital world to steal precious time from us? After all, when we look back on our lives, it’s not the time spent staring at screens that will define us—it’s the moments we spent fully engaged in the world around us.