An interview with novelist and cultural commentator Paul Kingsnorth always seems to be a treat, particularly when it’s conducted by a thoughtful host like Louise Perry. Both these writers have been insightful voices on everything from the sexual revolution to the creeping advancement of digital technology in every sphere of our daily lives. This weekend, consider catching their conversation, now live on YouTube:

Kingsnorth notes that we typically fail to ask what technology is to be used for or who it’s serving. “We have a completely uncritical attitude to it,” he remarks in the video. He further mentions how we’ve gotten to this place as a society where so many of us depend on the internet for our livelihoods. Both these writers wouldn’t have careers without digital technology, and frankly, neither would I. So, clearly, his criticism isn’t about rejecting new technologies, but remembering to ask critical questions about what it’s actually doing to us, who it’s benefitting, and what it might be replacing, or even stealing. Those are the questions not enough people are asking, and the result is a culture “awash in a sea of digital noise.”

I recently wrote about this problem in connection to streaming music. I love to listen to music on my headphones, but have gotten to a place where I’m uncomfortable with silence and always need something in the background. This almost always harms my ability to pay deep attention to the task at hand (like writing!). What do we lose when we’re never quiet with our own thoughts, always checking our phones, always listening to Spotify or a podcast in the background?

Kingsnorth and Perry remind us that while we may benefit from technologies in many ways, forgetting its drawbacks can make us more susceptible to it taking over our lives.