Much is being researched and written about the perils of constant digital connection such as increased stress, lowered productivity, and reduced intimacy in interpersonal relationships. Problems resulting from the replacement of traditional conversation with digital communication affect every age from school children to adults. For adults, conversation advances relationships through active listening and self-reflection. Adults engaged predominantly in constant digital communication are emerging with social anxiety to a degree that the digital relationships begin to be favored and perceived as the norm because digital communication can be constantly controlled, composed, edited and revised. Digital communication becomes preferred to face to face, spontaneous, open-ended conversations; digital communication feels safer because it requires less vulnerability. It is being shown that digital conversations are not performing the functions of traditional conversations in a multitude of ways. These days, “connected” is not connection.

If you want to detox from digital media, you can run, you can play, you can meditate – there are all sorts of ways to unplug and get outside yourself for a while in ways that relax and recharge your body and mind.

In addition to all of these great strategies, we offer dialogue.

Imagine having a conversation with 10-12 other people over an open-ended question about life, philosophy, history, or art where you have the time and space to ponder ideas, ask questions of each other and the text, and explore your thinking and the thinking of those around you. Your facilitator will help keep the conversation flowing in a balanced way using proven group dynamic tools and activities. You’ll find yourself being energized by the power of the group dynamic as you learn about the people around you and the multitude of different perspectives and life experiences that our diverse culture has to offer. Afterwards, you take the benefits of dialogue with you as a bridge back to daily life with a mindfulness about the richness of thought which occurs when different people get together, face to face, and talk.

Digital Detox Through Dialogue offers people the chance to take a break from digital devices and connect face to face in conversation. Using short, thought provoking text to begin a facilitated conversation that stimulates the mind, encourages social interaction, and engages their personal, philosophic, reflective selves allows participants to see each other as diverse, interesting, multi-faceted individuals.

Dialogue Praxis. It’s more than just talk.