WELL HELLO,
If you’ve clicked on the About section, you probably want to know a little bit more about me — so here we go.
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My name is Eleanor, and I can just about remember a time when smartphones weren’t glued to everyone’s hands. Although those memories are few and far between, I clearly remember when my eldest cousin received her first phone — a blue Motorola flip phone. My younger cousins and I gathered around her in fascination as she blasted Shut Up and Drive by Rihanna through the tiny speakers. That moment, in its own way, was my first lesson in the purpose and play of technology.
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I received my first hand-me-down iPhone in my teens, soon followed by a long-negotiated Facebook account. Then came the rest: Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat (even YikYak — yes, I’ve seen it all).
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After graduating, I spent several years working in the corporate world — learning, upskilling, and growing. I studied creative writing and journalism and eventually became a published writer in a national Sunday newspaper. I was thrilled… until, within hours, the online backlash began. Unequipped with coping mechanisms and feeling vulnerable, I took a long break from social media — my first real digital detox in over 15 years. For the first time, my phone didn’t come everywhere with me.
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It was during that period of reflection, research, and reconnection that the idea for The Disconnect Project was born. I realised that while so much focus is placed on educating children and teens about the risks of smartphone use, we rarely talk about how it’s impacting adults — the very people shaping our workplaces, communities, and families.
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Although I once felt more connected than ever — published articles and hundreds of followers — I had never felt more disconnected from myself and my community.
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Today, The Disconnect Project has a clear mission, and that is to help adults redefine their relationships with their smartphones through talks, workshops and programmes from someone who understands 'us' and 'it'.
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So, if you are interested connect with us email us below, and follow us on our instagram.
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WANT TO CONNECT?
