Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence?
Social Interaction: The Digital Erasure of Presence?  
Podcast: Ruined By The Internet? | Uncovering the human cost of our digital world
Published On: Sat Nov 29 2025
Description: With its constant presence and insatiable demand for attention, has the internet invaded our offline spaces - diminishing our ability to be truly present and eroding the quality of our in-person experiences?We're joined by Emily Toner - clinical psychologist and international expert in mindfulness, eco-psychology, and mental health - who understands better than most what we lose when we're physically present but digitally elsewhere.Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.Follow or subscribe to never miss the next investigation - new episodes regularly.Visit us: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/Help us investigate ourselves: https://www.ruinedbytheinternet.com/survey/Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/rbtishowIn this episode we investigate how constant digital distraction is eroding the quality of our in-person relationships, examine the concept of phubbing and what it's actually doing to the people around us, explore the tension between the state of doing and the state of being in a world that never switches off, and ask whether genuine presence is still possible in a digitally saturated life.00:00 - The internet's impact on social interaction and presence05:06 - Why social connection matters more than we admit, and what technology is costing us09:55 - How our definition of social interaction has shifted in the digital age14:51 - The distraction of technology in social settings: what we're missing20:03 – Phubbing: the new social norm nobody wants to talk about24:48 - The state of doingness versus beingness, and why the internet keeps us stuck28:09 - The importance of community connections in a digitally fragmented world35:37 - How digital interactions are changing the nature of real relationships39:22 - AI and the future of human connection: comfort or catastrophe?46:25 - Practical strategies for healthier social interactions in a tech-driven worldGuest links - Emily TonerWebsite: https://www.emilytoner.comPodcast: https://pod.link/1828836798Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilytoner_Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilytonerconsulting/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-toner-27413336/