Yesterday I attended a “first look” launch of a wellness venture. The founder had invited a small group of friends and family to absorb their first reactions and questions (definitely an effective way to get early-stage feedback).
She began the presentation with a problem statement and her journey of exploring what wellness means. It was the problem statement that lingered after the event and through the better part of today —
Everything around us that we consider as development—whether that be technology or infrastructure has led to new wellness problems that need solving:
Computers and desk jobs have led to a sedentary work environment
Social media and short-form video content has led to dopamine depletion and mental fatigue
Hyderabad’s rapid development has increased dust and noise pollution
Swiggy and Zomato have increased consumption of unhealthy food
These were some of the examples she gave, but the basic crux was that every advancement that we’ve made has created new wellness challenges.
This led me to reflect on the last decade. Have we done more harm than good to humanity in the name of all these advancements? If I had to label the last 10-15 years with one word - I think it would be “consumption”. Most examples of technological advancement I can think of in the last 10 years have only made consuming something more convenient, and we’ve become obese—figuratively and literally—because of it.
Can we really call it progress if we are creating in one direction but destroying in another?
I guess, in order to feel better, I want to spend this week reminding myself of the irrefutable discoveries and inventions from the last 25 years that the majority of people would agree were net positive. As they come to mind I’ll post them on X and Substack.