What Technology Takes from Us – And How to Take It Back
By Rebecca Solnit
Published in The Guardian, January 29, 2026
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and digital innovation, we face a quiet but profound loss: the loss of connection—to each other, to the natural world, and even to ourselves. As Silicon Valley continues to push for convenience, efficiency, and maximized productivity, technology encroaches on the very fabric of daily life, subtly eroding the moments of presence and relationship that enrich human experience.
The Loss of Embodied Experience
Rebecca Solnit begins her reflection with a vivid memory of summer days spent wading in a creek harvesting blackberries—an act rich in sensory detail, patience, and presence. She recalls how the process of picking berries—the feel of the thorny bushes, the colors of the fruit, the sounds of birds and bees—offered a deep immersion in the moment that went beyond mere fruit gathering. This connection to the natural world, the physical effort, and the quiet reflection were integral parts of the experience.
She contrasts this with the sterile, mechanized alternatives favored by contemporary life and technology. While the berries themselves can be commodified and quantified—how much they cost per pound—the true value lies in the process, the doing, not just the having. This sentiment echoes environmental activist Chip Ward’s critique of the "tyranny of the quantifiable," an ideology that reduces meaningful experience to measurable outputs and disregards the richness of engagement and process.
Silicon Valley’s Tyranny of Efficiency and Convenience
The article argues that Silicon Valley, the epicenter of technological innovation, has long preached an ideology of convenience and productivity that serves capitalism but diminishes human connection. Technologies encouraging remote work, online shopping, and automated interactions promote spending less time “in the world,” undermining public spaces and social contact.
Solnit notes the subtle but impactful changes to everyday life: errands that once invited casual encounters and observation of one’s environment are now completed online or through digitized kiosks. She recounts an experience at an Indian restaurant where ordering moved entirely to touchscreen kiosks, eliminating simple human interactions—interactions that not only offer small pleasures but also maintain social resilience and community.
This retreat from public life and interaction has consequences for civic life and democracy. Casual contact with strangers builds familiarity with diversity and place, fostering belonging and tolerance. The diminished practice of these social skills weakens our ability to endure and engage with the unpredictability of human relationships.
AI and the Atrophy of Thought and Social Skills
Beyond social withdrawal, technology threatens our intellectual and emotional capacities. AI products now promise to take over thinking and creating, encouraging users to outsource their own cognitive and creative labor. Marketing slogans claim users will “never think alone again,” revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of thinking’s intrinsic value—not merely as problem-solving but as an act of solitude and self-development.
Psychologist Sherry Turkle’s insights reinforce this concern: the use of screens undermines our capacity for solitude, a prerequisite for empathy, self-reflection, and deep thinking. Without cultivating solitude and independent thought, we risk becoming dependent on algorithms that shape how and what we think, weakening our mental autonomy.
Reclaiming What We’ve Lost
The essay is not an outright rejection of AI or technology but a call to recognize what is at stake if we accept technological convenience unthinkingly. It urges a collective effort to defend and reclaim the aspects of life that technology glosses over: the messy, difficult, and rewarding processes of doing, relating, and thinking. Whether it is growing tomatoes, walking dogs, or simply engaging in face-to-face conversations, these activities bind us to the world and to each other in ways no machine can replicate.
In reclaiming these connections, individuals and communities can nurture resilience, empathy, and a sense of place and belonging. This involves resisting the ideology that prioritizes productivity and efficiency above lived experience and investing time and attention in human relationships and the natural world.
Conclusion
Rebecca Solnit’s thoughtful essay reminds us that technology, especially AI, while powerful, should not preclude the messy, imperfect beauty of human life. The challenge is to harness technology without allowing it to alienate or diminish us. Only through conscious, collective choices can we take back the connections that enrich our lives and foster a more grounded, humane future.
This article originally appeared in The Guardian on January 29, 2026.
