Monique Sliedrecht sounds the alarm on tech’s toll: kids glued to phones, missing nature
Artist and blogger Monique Sliedrecht shared a raw wake-up call after watching AI talks and reflecting on nature. Her message: kids now spend too many hours on screens, sacrificing outdoor play and real connection.
She cites a recent stat: if trends continue, today’s kids will clock 25 years staring at phones. Sliedrecht warned this disconnect from earth and from others is speeding up—and we’re losing something vital. 
She called for more time outside, learning about plants and animals firsthand. For real conversations—face to face, or at least by phone. For reclaiming presence amid tech rush.
Sliedrecht also paid tribute to her late art mentor Paul Martin, whose work blurred humans and nature, stressing harmony with life.
She highlighted a conversation by Tristan Harris, co-founder of Center for Humane Technology, pushing the word “responsibility” in AI’s rise.
“From the beginning of time, responsibility was given to us to take care of the earth. Now we are being called to further responsibility in the dawn of a new era of technology.”
Sliedrecht’s message: balance. Work with tech—but don’t lose touch with real life, wild life, and real connection.
Read more at moniquesliedrecht.com.
