I’ve been seeing it everywhere—this idea that we need to “touch grass.” It’s become a phrase, a movement, a gentle (or sometimes not so gentle) nudge to break away from our screens and reconnect with nature. Apparently, we’re all so stuck in our digital bubbles that the idea of grass, actual grass, seems foreign. But here’s my question: Did we ever really touch grass? I mean, were we ever really the kinds of people who ran barefoot through meadows, arms outstretched like a Hallmark movie?

Let’s rewind. Sure, as kids, we played outside—occasionally. But most of the time, we were distracted by everything else: street games, cartoons, homework we pretended to do. Did we really connect with nature? Or was the closest we got to “touching grass” when we tripped on a handball court?

Fast forward to today, where “touching grass” has become the antidote to digital burnout. We’re supposed to step away from our phones, embrace the outdoors, and soak in the simplicity of the earth beneath our feet. But guess what? There’s now an app for that. Yes, you read that right—there’s an app to remind you to touch grass. We have hit a full circle of irony, people.

So, now we’re scheduling our “grass time” like we schedule Zoom meetings. Get a notification, step outside, touch the grass, and check it off the list. Maybe we’ll even post a selfie about it for good measure. The digital and the physical worlds are now so intertwined that even a concept as simple as grass needs a tech solution. Next thing you know, there’ll be virtual grass to touch in the metaverse.

Here’s the real question, though—did we miss our chance? Was there ever really a time we were one with the great outdoors, or have we always been somewhere between ‘nature’s fine’ and ‘I’ll just stay inside’? And now, with all our conveniences, apps, and digital schedules, maybe we’ve finally accepted that the grass was greener when we didn’t feel the pressure to touch it at all.

Maybe it’s not about grass at all, but about just being—in whatever form that takes for us. And if touching grass means stepping into a moment of quiet, then hey, I’ll give it a shot. Just not with an app notification buzzing in my ear.