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A person who identifies as conservative might consider how they can draw inspiration from conservative political thought, even in the realm of their purely private life.
Conservatism is an ideology that advocates caution regarding change. What we are, and what we possess, has been shaped and developed over a long period. It takes time to build things up, the conservative argues, but it takes very little time to tear them down! We know what we have, but we do not know what we might get in its place! Consequently, conservatism—and its adherents—advocate for a sense of reverence or respect for what already exists, even within our private lives, especially when what exists appears to be the result of a long and eventful process.
We often assume that conservative thought applies primarily to society and history—and, of course, it does. But it can also be applied to us as individuals. Every human being is a product of both evolution and their own personal life history. We cannot simply remake ourselves with ease.
Throughout history, humanity has had to contend with technological inventions that have radically altered our existence, a process that seems to be accelerating. What is happening now—with screens, the internet, AI, smartphones, social media, and more—is not merely a revolution in how we travel or communicate; for many, it has fundamentally transformed how we spend our days.
In short, we are becoming slaves to our computers and mobile phones.
On average, we spend about 140 minutes a day on social media. According to the database Statista, the global average in February 2025 was 141 minutes per day, that is, two hours and 21 minutes daily. The average amount of time we spend actively interacting with our mobile phones is 4 hours and 37 minutes. The United States ranks high in this regard, at 5 hours and 20 minutes per day. And this figure includes people who use their phones very little.
It is well known that the internet and social media have fundamentally transformed the landscape of dating and romance. Men and women no longer meet in social settings, through friends, or in the workplace; they meet online. The lives of young people, too, have been shaped by our digital habits. They spend far more time at home in front of their screens, interacting socially through them; they consume less alcohol, and they have less sex.
Physical and mental health present further concerns. An increasing number of voices are warning about the impact that constant connectivity has on our brains, bodies, and nervous systems. Comparing our lives today to how people lived just a century ago, it becomes clear that modern humans are subjecting themselves to a level of overstimulation for which they are not evolutionarily equipped.
It began with electric lighting and the noise of machinery. Then came radio, gramophones, television, stereo systems, computers, video games, mobile phones, social media, podcasts, a relentless stream of information, notifications, mobile signals, FaceTime, and much more.
But now, a counterreaction has begun to emerge. People who remember what life was like before mobile phones and social media may feel that something has been lost. There used to be a sense of stillness, a slower pace, and a connection to the present moment and the world around qualities that have since been lost.
The fact is many people never truly subject themselves to a proper digital detox. It may have been years since they spent an entire day without looking at a mobile phone or a computer. Many who attempt this attest to just how difficult it is. The habit of reaching for one’s phone has become so deeply ingrained in our minds and nervous systems that we find it nearly impossible to go a whole day without picking it up to check notifications and messages.
However, resistance to digital slavery appears to be growing.
Anyone can easily find websites offering advice on how to break free from a destructive relationship with the internet. Many argue today that we humans can simply become exhausted by the overconsumption of digital content. We fail to realize we are exhausted because we never allow ourselves to pause and check in with how we are feeling. Digital stimulation steps in just as our own energy begins to wane.
One website, aimed at women in the business world, discusses the physical and mental health risks increasingly associated with excessive screen time and internet use.
There may, of course, be both professional and personal advantages to being connected around the clock—or at least during every waking hour. But there are downsides, too. Our bodies and nervous systems remain constantly “switched on.” Information can arrive at any moment. Work and private life blur together, leaving us with no real time off either.
The mobile phone becomes our office, our calendar, our alarm clock, our social life, and our love life. Bosses, colleagues, partners—or even strangers—may expect us to respond the instant they reach out. Or, at the very least, we believe they expect us to.
Over time, this creates a state of constant stress within our bodies, denying us any chance for genuine recovery. Sleep also suffers. Many people today report waking up every night around 3:00 a.m., struggling to fall back asleep. This is likely because the brain is essentially crying out for the stimulation it has grown accustomed to receiving. If the brain is exposed to a constant stream of information from screens throughout the day, it is not so easy to completely switch off that stimulation for the 7–8 hours we spend sleeping at night.
However, small changes can make a significant difference—even if many people find it difficult to implement them. Perhaps we don’t need to keep our phones next to us while we sleep. Maybe we can avoid looking at screens during the final hours before bedtime. We could explain at work that we handle all work-related matters during our designated working hours. And perhaps we could try putting our mobile phones away for several consecutive hours over the weekend.
At the same time, perhaps we can try to engage in other activities that contribute to recovery and provide a different kind of stimulation. For many, watching an entire film without checking their mobile phone every now and then is a challenge. Reading fiction without glancing at one’s phone from time to time is also a challenge. Going for a walk or pursuing leisure activities without regularly reaching for one’s phone, this, too, is a challenge for many.
But it is worth a try. Our brains need rest. We need silence. We need to use our bodies. We need to be able to settle into stillness. We need to experience the satisfaction of knowing there is nothing we must attend to or respond to. Sometimes, we simply need to be free from obligations.
Throughout the course of evolution, the individuals and groups that survived were those that best managed to adapt to new conditions. Perhaps the same holds true today. Those who learn to master the internet—without becoming enslaved by it—may well have a future in this new society.
Turning away from new technology entirely is difficult, or to be more precise, it is impossible. Consequently, we must learn to manage it, as well as our own use of it. Today, such management largely consists of the ability to switch the technology off.
Our bodies are conservative. Our brains are conservative. They cling to what is familiar. They thrive when treated in the same way they have been for millennia—throughout human existence, long before the advent of digital technology.
As conservative human beings, it is very much in our interest to respect our bodies, our brains, and our nervous systems. We will make use of the new technology, but we will also respect our humanity.