4 Ways to Cultivate a More Mindful (and Ethical) Relationship with Technology

Reflections from the Tech in Transition Series by Daniel Rudolph, TNi's Network Coordinator

Technology touches every part of our lives: from how we connect with our neighbors (both human and non-human), to how we organize for change. Yet in recent years, many of us in the Transition movement and beyond have felt a growing tension in relation to tech usage and culture change.

This tension and curiosity is what guided the Tech in Transition series, a multi-part, collective exploration of the intersection between technology, ecology, health, and community. Across several sessions we explored this question: What does ethical, regenerative technology look like in practice?

What became clear to me in the last Collective Wisdom session is that there isn’t one right answer for individuals to respond to this conundrum. It isn’t a binary. Some people choose to opt out completely (leaving platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp) while others use imperfect or unethical tools to share regenerative perspectives and offerings, and others, something in between. The real work is in finding the bridges between these approaches, and at the same time building pathways toward more ethical technologies. And this bridging mindset extends far beyond tech; it shows up in how we relate to education, the economy, politics, and so much more.

As we wrapped up the series, we wanted to share the learnings and inspiration that emerged not just from the webinars and guest teachers, but also from the community participation that made the series feel alive.

For me personally, the impacts were both subtle and tangible:

• After Jay Vidyarthi's session on our psychological relationship with tech, I bought a non-digital alarm clock, a small but meaningful shift. Now I wake up to the sound of birds instead of a phone, and my mornings feel noticeably more peaceful.
• From Teresa Posakony’s session on posture and the nervous system, I’ve become more attentive to how people (including myself) physically relate to their devices. Raising my phone to eye level instead of curling down into my lap has been one simple behavior change I am committed to.
• The ethical technology session and closing panel inspired subtle changes as well as tangible ones including using BigBlueButton more as a video-conferencing alternative for my TNi work and engaging more on Community Waves.

More broadly, below are 4 key themes that came through the series.

1. Technology Reflects Our Values

One of the first lessons to emerge was that technology is never neutral. Every app or device carries assumptions about how people should connect, behave, and relate to the world.

For those in the Transition (and similar community-led) movement(s), who believe that resilient, local communities are the foundation of a thriving future, this means our digital tools should reflect our core values of connection, cooperation, and sufficiency.

That might look like:

• Choosing platforms that prioritize user privacy and data sovereignty
• Supporting open-source and community-built software
• Valuing transparency and accessibility over sleek convenience

2. Slow Tech and Presence Matter

“Slow tech” surfaced again and again during the series. It doesn’t mean abandoning devices, rather it means using them with more awareness.

Much like slow food invites us to savor each bite, slow tech invites us to notice our digital habits:

• Do we reach for our phones out of curiosity or compulsion?
• Do our online meetings nourish or deplete us?
• Are we sitting in ways that let oxygen and blood actually reach our brains?

Sometimes the smallest physical adjustments, like lifting the phone instead of bending our necks, help restore clarity and ease. Similarly, psychologically, small shifts can enable a transformation from unconscious guilt and shame, to increased curiosity, joy and forming more healthy habits.

3. Data as a Commons, Not a Commodity

Another powerful thread was the idea that data is a shared resource, not a private asset to be harvested.

In a regenerative paradigm, data should be governed like a commons: collectively held, transparently managed, and used for the benefit of all.

Imagine:

• Community energy projects sharing open data to improve local resilience
• Neighborhoods mapping their own capacities in ways that protect privacy
• Platforms designed to serve members, not advertisers

Ethical technology isn’t a dream, it’s already being prototyped by Transitioners around the world (check out Community Waves as an example).

4. Collective Imagination Is Our Most Powerful Technology

Perhaps the deepest insight from the series was this: the most transformative technologies aren’t digital, they’re relational.

Transitioners have long worked with the developing social technologies and technologies of the heart: imagination practice, ritual, story, listening, play. These soft technologies are what enable trust, collaboration, and creativity.

In an age of AI and automation, remembering the value of human imagination is radical.

As one speaker said, “If we can imagine systems that heal, we can build them.”

A Call to Reflect and Reimagine

The need for this re-imagining is growing.

As Angel Matilla shared in the closing panel, we now generate around 180 zettabytes of data globally (90% created in just the past two years!). This digital footprint is increasing exponentially and comes with significant environmental, as well as cultural, costs.

Data centres already consume over 1.5% of global electricity and vast amounts of water for cooling, placing increasing pressure on ecosystems as digital demand continues to rise. Furthermore, they produce hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO₂ each year, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions.

If you are an individual or part of a group grappling with these questions, here are three invitations:

Watch the Series. https://practise.transitionmovement.org/tech-in-transition-series/

Join the Conversation. We have created an ethical alternative to Facebook for regenerative changemakers: Community Waves. Ad-free, data protection, elements that can enable communities of practice to emerge.

Reflect Locally and on an Individual level.

Ask:

• How does technology shape your relationships?
• Are the tools you use aligned with your values?
• What small changes would bring more care or sovereignty to your digital practices?

Every email, online meeting, or platform choice is part of a bigger ecosystem. Change is not easy, and in some contexts, not possible or practical.

__________________________

For 2026, we’re planning a series of webinars organized around a different, but interconnected, theme - Learning from and Designing with Nature - with each session bringing a unique perspective that fits within the Transition characteristic and Apply Living Systems Design, which basis is; We understand the principles of living systems. We work with whole system design approaches to support the development and emergence of regenerative social systems. Re-imagining and rebuilding economies, education, health, food/farming and more. You can stay updated about this through joining the Transition newsletter.