In our efforts to stay ‘connected’, are we forgetting to connect?

"I See You", a short film produced by the self-dubbed "mindful technology" company Kovert Designs, explores the scenario of everyday presence. A group of ten strangers are paired up and asked to silently acknowledge each other for five minutes, before sharing how it made them feel. The results captured on film range from uncomfortable smiles, to laughter, fidgeting, and tears.

This social experiment is part of the London-based startup’s ongoing efforts to understand how our digital habits affect our ability to be present and connect on a human level. Hiring a team of social anthropologists and neuroscientists to help them explore this territory, Kovert Designs is focused on creating products that help people reset their digital-physical balance.

Last year, the wearable technology company released Altruis, its premier collection of high-end connected jewellery. The collection includes necklaces, rings and bracelets designed to help the wearer fight the distracting tendencies of everyday “notification nausea”.

In this noisy space of technological innovation, the Kovert mantra is refreshing: “Time is our greatest luxury in modern life. Technology is our greatest resource. Let’s use them wisely”. Our gadgets should be utilised to improve our quality of life, rather than detract from it - let’s not forget to create enough space to be inspired and be human.