KEY POINTS
- The film deals with addiction in the digital age
- The movie is written and directed by Alex Lykos
- The official premiere will take place in Sydney on 17 September
What would your life be like without your smart phone and social media? This is the question that Greek Australian writer and director Alex Lykos tries to answer in his new film "Disconnect Me".
The film deals with the role of technology in our daily lives and how it can be an ally without being a prisoner of it.
The film deals with the addiction of modern society to new technologies Credit: Supplied/Alex Lykos
But what are the implications for his life, both personal and professional, and what mental health issues might arise?
Exploring modern society's addiction to smart devices, this project, while seeming like a simple challenge, creates unforeseen consequences that are troubling for the viewer, as mentioned in an interview with SBS Greek, by Greek Australian writer, director and actor, Alex Lycos.
"The film is an experiment that I did for 30 days without a phone, without a computer. For 30 days of living the way I lived 25 years ago, before phones and things like that came along. To see what my life would be like, compared to now that we have all the devices. To understand the difference with life. Will I be happier, will I be relaxed, or will I be more irritated? Because I've realised with my mobile phone I had become very (addicted) to social media, to Facebook, to Twitter and I was always wasting my time on there. That instead of making me happier with my life, I was more stressed. And so I had this idea to see what my life would be like without the phone calls and social media on my mind," he said.
During this abstinence, the hero of the film seeks the opinion of students and even academics to explain a universal problem: "Why are we so addicted to technology?"
The film also explores the impact that rapidly evolving technology will have on next generation, specifically artificial intelligence, with Mr Lykos, noting that we are in uncharted waters.
"I think we don't know yet because we're all in this big experiment and it's only been 20 years with mobile phones, but 8 to 10 years with mobile and social media together. We won't understand the impact for at least another 10 to 15 years" he said.
Angelina Castelli, testifies her own relationship with technology
