The Human Observatory for Digital Existence

The Human Observatory for Digital Existence

The Human Observatory for Digital Existence is a platform for collaborative research and cooperation with society, involving stakeholders from NGOs, industry, authorities, organizations, cultural institutions, and public intellectuals. Its statement of intent is to “monitor what happens to human value in an age of dramatic technological change.” Producing an “impact beyond numbers,” it has since 2015 been the conduit of long-term, extensive exchanges with Swedish society, and the organizer of public events and activities in collaboration with museums, and in partnership with the Sigtuna Foundation: The Human Observatory for Digital Existence

Between 2023- 2024, The Human Observatory for Digital Existence have been arranging activities around the theme “Digital noise: conversation and silence as existential methods” and January 17, 2024, it was time for our final event in the series. Here we explored “digital resonance”, inspired by German sociologist Hartmut Rosa. The event included a public podcast recoding (På spaning efter själen – “In Search of the Soul”) with Kerstin Dillmar, Chaplain and Human Observatory member, and guests who use digital media in therapy, counselling and pastoral care. The evening revolved around the question whether we can “hear” and respond to one another and thus create resonant encounters in an era of connection at distance. Invited guests were Ullakarin Nyberg (psychiatrist and chief physician, who runs the Mind-podcast “På liv och död”), Annafia Trollbäck (priest and host for the podcast “Präster med gäster”) and Fredrik Livheim (psychologist and research- and content strategist for www.29k.org – a nonprofit foundation working with digital self-care).