--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Computers tend to separate us from each…" description: "\"Computers tend to separate us from each other - Mum's on the laptop, Dad's on the iPad, teenagers are on Facebook, toddlers are on the DS, and so on.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/tom-hodgkinson-2852_computer_computers-tend-to-separate-us-from-each_1577468.png" --- # Computers tend to separate us from each other - Mum's on… ![“Computers tend to separate us from each other - Mum's on the laptop, Dad's on the iPad, teenagers are on Facebook, toddlers are on the DS, and so on.” quote by Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/tom-hodgkinson-2852_computer_computers-tend-to-separate-us-from-each_1577468.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/tom-hodgkinson-2852_computer_computers-tend-to-separate-us-from-each_1577468.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0a/tom-hodgkinson-2852_computer_computers-tend-to-separate-us-from-each_1577468.png) > “Computers tend to separate us from each other - Mum's on the laptop, Dad's on the iPad, teenagers are on Facebook, toddlers are on the DS, and so on.” [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Technology creates physical distance, leading families to interact through screens rather than face‑to‑face. **In simple terms:** Tech separates families. Key Takeaway Prioritize in‑person connection. Themes family technology communication Mood concerned hopeful Type advice reflective When to use this quote - family meals - parent‑child bonding - digital detox - remote work Key Concepts digital distraction social isolation Questions to Reflect On - How can families set healthy tech boundaries? - What moments deserve offline focus? A Different Perspective Screen time can also enable connection if used mindfully. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Laptops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laptops/) [Mum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mum/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) ## Related quotes > [Like sex drives, card tricks, and the weather, computers tend to be discussed in terms of results rather than processes, which makes them rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mayer/like-sex-drives-card-tricks-and-the-weather-computers-tend-to-be/) [Martin Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mayer/) > [I am the first to admit my iPad is the coolest thing in the world, but when we can be in a room together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiklis/i-am-the-first-to-admit-my-ipad-is-the-coolest-thing-in-the-world-but/) [Michael Chiklis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiklis/) > [The Apple iPad is not going to be the company's next runaway best seller. 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Dvorak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-dvorak/) > [Today, when you combine the web with the iPad, you have the most advanced medium for human thought and communication ever created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccue/today-when-you-combine-the-web-with-the-ipad-you-have-the-most/) [Mike McCue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccue/) > [ I don't think there is one size that fits all \[\] I've been to too many meetings with journalists who spent the first 10… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-think-there-is-one-size-that-fits-all-i-ve-been-to-too-many/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [I very much want to be in the business of creating content, of doing stories all over the world rather than figuring out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/i-very-much-want-to-be-in-the-business-of-creating-content-of-doing/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [My daughter can work on an iPhone and iPad like crazy. That's their world. If you can use that, use it educationally. They can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-o-dell/my-daughter-can-work-on-an-iphone-and-ipad-like-crazy-that-s-their/) [Nancy O'Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-o-dell/) > [Here at home, we need to do two fundamental things. Number one, we need to recognize that technology has moved on. 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-kelby/with-ipad-publishing-you-can-try-new-things-experiment-and-even/) [Scott Kelby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-kelby/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) ## More by Tom Hodgkinson > [By taking out a loan, I am committing myself to years of interest repayments, and therefore to years of wage slavery. And the UK…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/by-taking-out-a-loan-i-am-committing-myself-to-years-of-interest/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Writing a book is a brilliant thing because once you've finished it, you've done it, and there's the potential for it to go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/writing-a-book-is-a-brilliant-thing-because-once-you-ve-finished-it/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Truly, the bench is a boon to idlers. Whoever first came up with the idea is a genius: free public resting places where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/truly-the-bench-is-a-boon-to-idlers-whoever-first-came-up-with-the/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Beauty, pleasure, freedom and plenty of sleep: these are the hallmarks of a successful idler's break. 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I think idlers are generally seen as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/the-idea-of-a-government-is-to-create-an-ordered-willing-work-force/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [When stuck years ago in a job I hated, my only friend was the public bench. As the tedious mornings dragged on, how I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/when-stuck-years-ago-in-a-job-i-hated-my-only-friend-was-the-public/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [All poets are idlers, even if all idlers are not poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/all-poets-are-idlers-even-if-all-idlers-are-not-poets/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Pain will never leave us. Instead of putting energy into destroying pain, we need to put energy into creating pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/pain-will-never-leave-us-instead-of-putting-energy-into-destroying/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Sensible people advise against drinking on an empty stomach, but to my mind it is the best sort of drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/sensible-people-advise-against-drinking-on-an-empty-stomach-but-to-my/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Paradoxically, to be truly idle, you also have to be efficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/paradoxically-to-be-truly-idle-you-also-have-to-be-efficient/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [Am I the only person in the world who is shocked and amazed at the ongoing flattery of uebergeek Mark Zuckerberg?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/am-i-the-only-person-in-the-world-who-is-shocked-and-amazed-at-the/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [I would like to propose slow cycling. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) Jen-Hsun Huang > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... 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