In the hills of West VirginiaA US state with a population of nearly 1.8 million. , radio fades to white noise and the phone signal dies. Up ahead a giant white ear listens in on deep space.

This is the world's largest radio telescope.¹ It has unlocked the secrets of supermassive black holesA region of space where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape from it, including particles and radiation.  and taken the best-ever photos of the moon. It scans the skies for aliens and asteroidsSmall bodies in space, made of metal and rock material. Asteroids usually orbit the sun, but if knocked off course they can be drawn into Earth's gravity and fall towards it. . And it needs perfect silence.

Green Bank is in the US National Radio Quiet Zone, where the internet, mobile phones and microwaves are banned.²

And in the last decade, people have moved here to escape technology. They claim to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) and digital devices make them sick. The WHOShort for the World Health Organisation. says there is "no scientific basis" for EHS.

Meanwhile, internet use has skyrocketed since the pandemic - with the average Briton spending 13 hours per day looking at a screen.

You do not have to believe in EHS to be wary of technology. Since 2012, people have been trying to detox: switching off devices for a day, a week, or longer.³

"I want my life back," wrote Mark Boyle in 2016. Since then he has lived entirely off-grid. "It's a choice," he writes, "between the machine world and the living, breathing world and I feel physically and mentally healthier for choosing the latter".

But in a world with more phones than people, it may be too late.⁴ Emily Cherkin helps clients manage their screen time. Technology, she says, is "embedded in our lives" - we work, shop, learn, play and connect through our screens.

The solution is "mindfulness", argues digital expert Sina Joneidy. Quit doomscrollingConstantly scrolling through news feeds or social media and reading depressing news. and focus on using technology with purpose. The goal is to regain control of our devices without sacrificing convenience and connectivity.

Those who reject technology are often called Luddites. These were 19th Century textile workers who destroyed weaving machines to protest against working conditions. Today it is an insult or an apology for technophobia.

But expert Jathan Sadowski says he's a "proud" Luddite, and "you should be too." Those factory workers were not stupid or against progress. "No technology is sacred", argues Sadowski, and we should reject tech that makes our lives worse.

And with the rise of AI, now may be our last opportunity to ask the question.

Yes: We must disconnect from the digital to reconnect with ourselves, each other and the world around us. Instead of the endless distraction of notifications, we must regain concentration and purpose.

No: From healthcare to communication and entertainment, technology makes our lives easier, faster and safer. Be mindful of how you use it, but a tech-free world would be a disaster.

Or... It all depends on what we mean by technology. Everything from a spoon to a supercomputer is a type of tech, a tool to help us do stuff. We need the right questions to separate the good from the bad.