by Natalie Smithson
NOVA IS LOST WELLNESS SERIES
We are not OK.
Everywhere you look, people are desperate to disconnect from their smartphone and protect children from digital harms, yet so much of what we do now is controlled through technology, from shopping and streaming to paying bills and planning.
Acclaimed futurist Brian Solis doesn’t describe Generations X, Y or Z, but a communal Gen C, for always Connected. “We reach for our phones over 100 times a day and gaze through little windows into immersive worlds for hours,” he says. We need to “use digital in ways that make us happier, more conscious, and open-minded”.
1 in 5 primary school aged children
have a mental health difficulty.
600,000+ people aged 15-25 were prescribed antidepressants in 2023-24.
60% of people say the cost of living crisis is hurting their wellbeing.
85% of adults have recently experienced loneliness (44% chronic loneliness).
With the effects of the pandemic, war, and fears for a robotic future, we’re seemingly overwhelmed, and while it seems strange to think more technology can come to our aid, technologists in the wellness space approach this differently. Their work is helping us today with everything from clarity and confidence to calm and companionship.
Sign up for news from Nova for updates on this series, or follow on socials.
CLARITY
How emerging tech, neuroscience and art reveals your needs for wellness
Feat. Sarah Ticho’s Soul Paint VR experience, Duncan Speakman’s Only Expansion audio tour, and Kinda Studios explorations into interoceptive signals, brain waves, and art
CONNECTION
Why immersive experiences, apps and games are good for emotional grounding
Feat. Marshmallow Laser Feast’s immersive ‘Of the Oak’ experience, Orli Health’s companion app for families, and the Ancestors game from The Smartphone Orchestra
CONVALESCENCE
How more thoughtful use of tech can support better sleep and mental health
Feat. Tom Middleton’s use of sound to help us sleep better, Corvas Brinkerhoff’s plans for Submersive bathing spas, and thymia’s mental health platform borne out of gamification.
CONTEMPLATION
When escapism becomes wellness through immersive art and tech
Feat. PunchDrunk’s immersive experience: Viola’s Room, Wake the Tiger’s amazement park, and photogrammetry and VR to make immersive experience work inclusive.
Read this post
CONFIDENCE
How AI and VR builds confidence in all areas of life from school and work to old age
Feat. RiVR’s work on tackling county lines drugs crimes, the Sona AI platform that helps you prepare for challenges at work, and Recallify’s memory support app.
CATHARSIS
How art and immersion helps you process difficult emotions without saying a word
Feat. The Living Lantern by light artist Frankie Boyle, Andrea Walker’s choreography around grief, and Elaine Hong’s immersive experience about losing the memory of loved ones.
Nova Is Lost ↗
The creative lab from Natalie Smithson working on self-belief for all.
The Vault ↗
Weekly tips, tricks, methods and practices to help you grow inner strength.
News ↗
Sign up for occasional updates from the Nova Is Lost creative lab (no spam ).