The Power of the Pause: Tech, Taiao & the Time to Breathe
- Amber Taylor
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
Do you remember the buzz of waiting a whole week for the next episode of your favourite show? Or the excitement of unwrapping a new CD from your favourite artist? That feeling of anticipation – the build-up, the delayed reward – was something special. Nowadays, with everything just a click away, that sense of wonder feels like a fading memory.
As a māmā and nana, I often think about how our always-on, fast-paced digital world is affecting our rangatahi. They’re growing up with constant stimulation, instant likes, and not a lot of space to slow down, reflect, or just be. Books like The Anxious Generation, Stolen Focus, and Thinking, Fast and Slow all point to a common truth: that constant distraction is rewiring our kids’ brains, weakening attention spans, and making it harder to build deep, lasting connections.
Jonathan Haidt’s work in The Anxious Generation makes a powerful case for why delayed gratification matters. It helps grow emotional resilience, gives space for self-reflection, and strengthens the nervous system. Professor Grant Schofield’s research backs this up—outdoor "risky" play isn’t just “good for kids”; it’s critical. Nature, movement, fresh air—all of it supports hauora in a way that tech alone never could.
And yet, many of our tamariki are no longer climbing trees, getting muddy, or roaming with their cousins like we once did. That natural, independent exploration – where you learn by doing, by waiting, by navigating the unknown – is getting replaced by endless scrolling and swiping.
For many of our rangatahi, especially those raised away from their papa kāinga or disconnected from their reo, this didn’t start with devices. It began generations ago with colonisation, urbanisation, and systemic disconnection from whenua and whakapapa. The issue is deeper than screen time—it’s about reclaiming our sense of belonging.
But what if technology could be part of the solution?
At ARA Journeys, we design augmented reality (AR) games that intentionally reconnect youth with te taiao. When you combine movement, nature, and storytelling, magic happens. Whether they’re walking along a riverbed or unlocking ancient kōrero through their phones, rangatahi get the best of both worlds: tech that fuels curiosity, and nature that restores wairua.
Daniel Kahneman reminds us that our brains have two systems—one that reacts fast and one that takes its time. Delayed gratification nurtures that second system. It’s where deep learning happens, empathy lives, and we grow into our full selves. Games that ask young people to explore, reflect, and wait for meaning are powerful tools for cultivating this.
Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus paints a clear picture: when we’re constantly distracted, we lose our capacity to be present. But when we use tech to reclaim presence—to encourage mindfulness, stillness, and observation—it becomes a bridge rather than a barrier.
And while many people worry about an AI future that looks like Terminator—machines rising and taking over—my concern leans more toward Wall·E. A future where we’ve become so disconnected from the natural world, and from each other, that we forget how to walk on the earth with intention. In that film, humans floated in chairs, fed by screens, passive observers of a world they once nurtured. It’s a vision that hits a little too close to home.
That’s why the work we do at ARA Journeys matters. It’s about flipping that narrative. Encouraging movement instead of passivity. Connection instead of isolation. Awe instead of apathy. Helping our rangatahi build a future where tech supports their well-being, rather than replacing it.
The truth is, our tūpuna understood this long before the science did. They practised delayed gratification every day – through seasonal kai gathering, through rituals that spanned generations, through the patient transmission of mātauranga. They knew that connection takes time. And that the land, our people, and our whakapapa all thrive when we honour that rhythm.
That’s the wairua we bring into our work at ARA Journeys. Our games like, Tuwhiri and Journeys of Manu, are designed to spark those moments of awe and anticipation. They lead rangatahi outdoors, into stories, and into themselves. They’re not just digital experiences, they’re invitations to slow down, connect deeply, and find joy in the journey.
We've seen this first-hand during our Tuwhiri in Schools programme, where students explored the story of Apa and reimagined their understanding of place. As they walked the land and stood in culturally significant spaces, just as their tūpuna once did, those stories came alive in a way no classroom could replicate. One kaiako told us the experience transformed how students viewed their whenua and themselves. That’s the power of immersive learning rooted in mātauranga Māori.
Or, perhaps what moved me most was a heartfelt message from a māmā I met at an event—someone who had been deeply hesitant about digital devices. She thanked us for creating content she could finally feel good about. Content that didn’t isolate her tamariki, but connected them to their culture, to the land, and to their wellbeing. “I’m just so grateful you exist,” she said. I carry that with me.
Our tūpuna knew that the most meaningful things in life couldn’t be rushed—connection, healing, understanding, belonging. These things take time. They unfold slowly, like a good story.
And maybe that’s what we need to bring back—a bit of the old magic. The thrill of a cliffhanger. The joy of not knowing what’s next, and learning to be okay with that.
Because in waiting, in walking, in wondering, we give our rangatahi the space to reconnect—to te taiao, to their culture, to themselves.
My dear friend Peter-Lucas Jones once described our rangatahi not as digital natives, but as digital captives. That resonated with me on a deep level. Because while our young ones have grown up fluent in technology, they’ve also grown up surrounded by systems designed to keep them scrolling, disconnected, and distracted. It’s not fluency—it’s captivity!
At ARA Journeys, our mission is to break those chains, not by taking tech away, but by transforming how it's used. Grounding it in whakapapa. Embedding it in whenua. Inviting rangatahi to become not just users, but creators and explorers of meaning!
👉 If this resonates, I’d love to kōrero. Whether you're looking to pilot our games in your school, explore collaborative storytelling, or reimagine digital well-being for your community, we’re here for it. There’s a whole future waiting to be written. Let’s make sure it’s one worth the wait.
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