Slow Waters: with Adele Walton

In your world right now, what does 'rest' mean to you? Has your relationship with rest shifted as your work has taken you deeper into the cost of being always 'on'?

To me, rest means giving myself the permission to listen to my body and what it needs and feels, go inward and disconnect from external noise. I think when we’re so used to having so much external stimuli, it’s hard to even know what our body wants and how our mind is feeling. As an activist who campaigns for online safety and a Gen Z who grew up acclimatised to constant notifications, it doesn’t come naturally to me but is super important to ensure that I can sustain myself to keep doing this work. This is something that allies in the tech Justice space continue to remind me.

‘Logging Off’ feels like a book the world has been waiting for. Was there a particular moment or experience that made you realise this was the one you had to write?

I was already writing the proposal for Logging Off and reflecting on my own relationship with social media and digital technology in 2022, having grown up as a Gen Z immersed in the digital world, when I then lost my sister to online harms. I realised that this was the worst case scenario of an unregulated digital world where big tech platforms fail to keep users safe and are financially incentivised to do the opposite, and I knew I had to write this book. 

Do you have any advice for someone reading this who’s finding it hard to ‘break up’ with their phone? … and yes, the irony isn’t lost on us here!

Don’t beat yourself up because it is a daily battle for all of us, given that these platforms have been intricately designed to have that effect on our brains. Instead, get together with your friends offline and host your own phone-free event, make a pledge to leave your phones at home and remember how good it feels to be fully present. 

Do you have any rituals that signal the shift from work to rest for you - or another way of coming back to your body after hours of critical thinking and writing?

I’m a water sign so I love being in and around water, so a swim and sauna session or a walk by a river listening to birdsong helps me get back to myself. 

Tell us more about the Logging Off Club! What have your phone-free gatherings taught you about what we're missing in the way we live now?

Logging Off Club was started by me and my best friend India when we reached our mid 20s, because we realised social media was not living up to its promise of connection. We hosted our first event in our local bookshop in Southampton in 2024 and now our volunteers host phone free events across 3 continents and 10 cities! Most of our attendees are Gen Z people who are bored of social media and are yearning for community and roots in their local area.

A scent or texture that brings you a deep sense of comfort…

Wood-burning, it reminds me of winter walks through my mum’s village in Turkey.

Have you read, watched, or listened to anything recently that really stayed with you?

This Novara Media interview with Karen Hao.

We’d love to know your current holy grail skincare and bodycare products…

The MIRROR WATER SMOOTH Body Oil for massaging my tech neck after a long day in front of screens, Medik8 Vitamin C Daily Radiance moisturiser and Thank You Farmer Water Sun Cream.

To close, describe your perfect slow Sunday from morning to night…

Connect with Adele ↓

Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World
Logging Off Club
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