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This morning I had an unexpected experience with my daughter.

For the last few days, I noticed a greater attachment to the iPad or PC than usual. She stopped playing with her toys. Thus, I went to her, took the headphones from her head, and the iPad, putting them on the desk. I gave her a big hug and then asked – “I had this idea. What if we got rid of all the toys in your room and gave them to those in need? You spend so much time in front of screens that maybe these could bring joy to other children. What do you think?”

She looked surprised, paused and began to cry. That wasn’t my intention. She understood why I was asking, but those toys meant something to her. They were the portal to finding her creative self. But since we spend so much time in front of screens watching videos, replying to messages on multiple platforms, interacting in social media, reading news, etc., we get distracted, as she was.

I began wondering if we are gradually losing our ability to create and re-invent our life. I’m not arguing in favor of getting rid of technology, unless we don’t need it, or is a divisive reason among us. But we cannot forget to nurture the creativity which makes us human.

The way to move forward is a balanced life between its digital and analog sides. A simple life grounds on the essential feeding our relational self and developing our ability to learn. If we let ourselves be consumed by distraction, we tend to live a drifted life, and when we become aware of it, it could be too late. Or not.