IS TECHNOLOGY KEEPING US STUCK IN THE PAST?

Back in the day, if you had a horrible boss, or a relationship that ended on a sour note, you could process the situation and move on.

- STEPHANIE FITZGERALD

You never had to hear from, or about, that person ever again. But no more. Technology has broken the notion of a past. We can stay connected with, and follow the lives of, people who should have exited our orbit many moons ago.

Don’t get me wrong, being able to reconnect with an old friend who you have lost touch with can be amazing. But getting a follow request from the school bully who has conveniently forgotten that they made your life hell? Less so.

When we think of technology, we generally think of the future. Exciting new developments stretching our abilities and capabilities beyond that which we could ever have imagined. In a world of rapid AI development, we see technology as paving the way and directing our future paths. But is it actually keeping us stuck in the past?

With everyone carrying a smartphone and with it the ability to document every moment of our lives, we can struggle to disentangle ourselves from our histories and move forwards. We are constantly being pinged with stories and montages, showing us snapshots of the (sometimes very distant) past. These can serve as lovely reminders of happy times, but can also confront us with an ex, and subsequent emotions that we weren't ready or prepared to face.

I spoke with clinical psychologist and EMDR consultant Dr Jo Phillips, and asked her about the impact that this blast-from-the-past technology is having on our mood and mental state.