The Parallel World

Today, we live in two interconnected worlds: one in which we move through life physically, build relationships, and work, and another that we access through screens, devices, and digital platforms. This second world, which we can call the parallel world, is no longer separate from our daily lives. It has become an essential part of them. We wake up to its notifications, follow its news, communicate through it, and use it for work, learning, and entertainment. As its presence continues to grow, an important question emerges: Are we in control of technology, or has technology begun to control our attention, time, and way of life?

The “Parallel World” episode of Abajora Podcast, hosted by Lubna Al-Khamis, opens a space for reflection on our relationship with technology and invites us to consciously examine the impact of digital devices and platforms on our lives. The episode was created in collaboration with King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) alongside the SYNC Digital Wellbeing Summit, which focuses on understanding the realities of technology today and its impact on people and society through scientific research, knowledge, programs, and awareness tools.

What Is the Parallel World?

The concept of the parallel world here does not refer to a distant fictional universe, but to the digital environment we inhabit every day. It is the world of instant messages, videos, social media platforms, games, applications, and content that reaches us at every moment. This world offers tremendous opportunities for learning, communication, and access to information, but it can also become a constant source of distraction when we fail to establish clear boundaries around its use.

The smartphone has become a constant companion for many people, accompanying them from the moment they wake up until just before they go to sleep. We use it to follow the news, complete tasks, search for information, communicate, and even escape boredom or anxiety. Over time, opening apps can become an automatic habit that we barely notice. This is where digital awareness becomes important: understanding how to use technology in ways that serve our needs instead of consuming our time and attention unintentionally.

Technology Between Benefit and Distraction

Technology cannot simply be categorized as entirely positive or negative. It has helped bring people closer, made knowledge more accessible, and opened new opportunities for work, education, and creativity. Today, people can attend lectures from distant locations, communicate with individuals from different cultures, and access resources that were once difficult to find. Digital tools can also help organize time, manage work, and develop skills.

However, these benefits can diminish when technology becomes a constant form of consumption without a clear purpose. Rapidly moving between apps can weaken our ability to focus, while frequent notifications may keep the mind in a constant state of readiness to respond. This does not mean that every use of technology is harmful. Rather, it highlights the importance of balance and awareness of the habits that develop over time. The problem is not the existence of devices, but losing the ability to choose when to use them, why we use them, and when to step away.

Digital Balance: Controlling Our Devices, Not the Other Way Around

The concept of digital balance focuses on building a healthy and conscious relationship with technology. Digital balance does not mean completely disconnecting from devices or rejecting technological progress. Instead, it means using digital tools to an extent that serves us without draining us.

This requires paying attention to our daily behavior: How often do we check our phones? Do we use them for a specific task, or do we move endlessly between pieces of content? Can we eat or spend time with others without checking a screen? Do we have quiet time away from notifications?

The journey toward digital balance can begin with simple steps, such as turning off unnecessary notifications, setting specific times for phone use, keeping devices away during sleep or social gatherings, and making time for reading, reflection, and walking. Setting an intention before opening an app can also reduce mindless usage. These are not rigid rules, but tools for regaining a sense of choice and returning technology to its proper role as a tool rather than the center of our lives.

The SYNC Summit and the Role of Knowledge in Understanding Technology

The episode comes alongside the SYNC Digital Wellbeing Summit, which is built around extensive scientific research into the realities of technology and its impact on our lives. The summit provides knowledge through awareness programs and tools, with a vision of creating a world in which we control our devices rather than the other way around.

Understanding the digital world requires a broad conversation involving individuals, families, schools, and institutions. Parents need to understand how screens influence their children's habits. Students need skills that help them navigate information. Workplaces need cultures that protect employees' time and ability to focus. Through digital awareness, we can move beyond simply fearing technology toward understanding and managing it more thoughtfully.

Ithra: A Partnership for Deeper Digital Awareness

This episode was created in collaboration with King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), which contributes to content and programs that encourage discussion around contemporary cultural and intellectual issues. This collaboration gives the topic of the parallel world a broader context that goes beyond quick advice and connects it to research, knowledge, and everyday experience.

The conversation around digital balance is not intended to place the entire responsibility on individuals. Applications themselves are designed to capture attention, and platforms compete for users' time. Therefore, digital awareness requires understanding these mechanisms as well as developing personal and social habits that help protect our focus, privacy, and human relationships.

The Production Team

This episode was created by the Abajora Podcast team as part of an approach that combines reflection on everyday life with an interest in technology and social issues. Through this episode, Abajora explores a subject that affects everyone, because we all live, to varying degrees, between the physical world and the digital parallel world. The collaboration with Ithra and the SYNC Summit places the episode within a broader context focused on knowledge, research, and awareness.

In the end, the “Parallel World” episode invites us to reconsider our relationship with devices and digital platforms. Technology is not an enemy, nor is it a replacement for life. It is a tool that can expand our opportunities when used consciously.

Digital balance begins with a simple question: Am I using technology because it serves me right now, or because I have become accustomed to responding to it automatically?

When we ask ourselves this question honestly, we begin to reclaim our time and attention and build a more balanced relationship with the digital world—one in which we control our devices rather than allowing them to control our day.