That Teacher Who's Always Reading

You know, I wasn't born into this fast-paced world where everything sits behind a touchscreen. I got to know the digital world by feeling my way through it. When I first encountered it, I didn't really know what to do or where I fitted in.

Looking back now, there's a memory that makes me smile. Those early teenage days spent online until the first light of morning… Back then the internet wasn't in the palm of our hands as it is today; the hours passed in that cold room where the computer was, trying to stay quiet, afraid of being caught by angry parents. The faint guilt of chasing a bit of mischief mixed with the chill of the room.

Today things are very different. Everything is right there in our palms. On the bus, while walking, while eating… And so keeping a distance has become harder. People always say "let's keep young people away from screens", but I don't really believe in that idea. Besides, we adults who tell you to "stay away" have long since tumbled into that bottomless pit ourselves. We are stuck on the fine line between need and trap.

I realised I had fallen into this trap thanks to the Unplugged project, which I am part of. I saw how much, and how "aimlessly", I scrolled the screen, especially on the school bus. That was the moment I made myself a promise. My motto is this: rather than simply ripping out of my life something that affects me negatively, I should fill the space it leaves with something positive that nourishes me. I believe that's what suits human nature best. I thought about my life before the digital revolution – how much I used to read… Why not go back to those days, I said, and I started reading books on the road again.

And then what happened? Recently, I overheard students at school who only knew me from the bus, and didn't yet know my name, describing me to each other as "the teacher who's always reading". The lovely side effect of starting with myself in becoming "better" turned out to be setting an example for others – and when I noticed, in the days that followed, that the number of people reading (or listening to) books on the school bus was growing one by one, the strength of the bond between us filled me with tremendous hope.

This tiny change didn't just reduce my screen time; it turned into an "attunement" that spread to other areas of my life. The sense of focus that replaced the aimless scrolling became my motivation to pay attention to how I eat, to hold on more tightly to my morning workouts, and to live a more balanced life overall.

It's not about rejecting technology; it's about finding a sustainable harmony. If only you knew how the power of that balance makes life more beautiful…