I didn’t come to Magnet House to escape the digital world. I came to notice how it shapes my attention. This youth reflection explores how rural space, slowness and selective connectivity change what participation, presence and care can feel like.

I’ve been “present” in many hybrid meetings without ever feeling fully included. This text reflects on what participation really means when some voices are in the room and others are on the screen — and why access alone is not the same as influence.