The HEAD Foundation

THINK | In an age of endless scrolling and constant connectivity, genuine connection can sometimes feel harder to find than ever. 🤝

What happens when we step away from algorithm-driven spaces and rediscover community through conversation, shared experiences, and intentional relationships?

Read insights from Liang Yi Bin. 🔗 https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/09/21/my-leisure-is-not-your-capital/

THINK | Social media is often associated with entertainment and distraction, but for many rural farmers in India, it has become a powerful tool for learning, innovation, and economic opportunity.

How are farmers using digital platforms to share knowledge, solve problems, and build new pathways for growth? 🌱

Read insights from Prof Julien Cayla.
🔗 https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/08/21/scroll-plant-share-innovation-lessons-from-indias-rural-farmers/

On this Vesak Day, may the spirit of compassion, mindfulness, and peace continue to inspire kindness in our communities and everyday lives. Wishing everyone a meaningful celebration. 🪷✨

It was a pleasure to meet Anna Farida and Eva Nukman, our friends from Litara, who came by our office on 22 May to have an insightful chat about early childhood education in Indonesia.

Our conversation gave us a deeper understanding about the need for contextualised intervention in Indonesia’s most precarious areas, the 3T regions — Terdepan (Frontier), Terluar (Outermost), and Tertinggal (Underdeveloped). They also shared how engaging children’s books can help nurture imagination, empathy, and a love for learning.

Anna and Eva were also here to participate in the Asian Festival for Children’s Content 2026, where they presented their new book releases and conducted workshops for writing children’s books. Thank you for gifting us copies of Litara’s books and reminding us of our own childhood!

Wishing everyone a meaningful Hari Raya Haji filled with reflection, gratitude, and the warmth of togetherness with loved ones and community. 🌙🤲

THINK | Social media, idealised as a public square to connect people, have evolved to be a place rampant with misinformation.

How can community builders reach out to audiences and build bridges to create a positive change in the world?

Read insights from journalist and volunteer community advocate Ellis Ng
🔗 https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/09/21/from-platform-to-public-square-rethinking-digital-engagement/

THINK | Digital connectivity has fundamentally reshaped workplace expectations and contributed to burnout.

🔗 Read insights from Stephanie Galera on the key considerations HR practices need to address in the face of these emerging challenges. https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/09/21/from-presence-to-performance-rethinking-hr-in-the-always-on-workplace/

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!
May the spirit of this festive season bring peace, joy and blessings to you and your loved ones 🌙

THINK | The “always on” culture — driven by round-the-clock social media activity and incessant mobile phone notifications — has led to incredible mental and environmental costs. 📳

In a country like Malaysia with a population that’s largely online, how can its society deal with the downsides of hyperconnectivity?

🔗 Dr Jayamalathi Jayabalan shares insights on how frugal innovation may be the way to go https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/08/21/the-environmental-and-psychological-costs-of-hyperconnectivity-a-malaysian-perspective-on-frugal-digital-innovation/

THINK | Technologies—from smartphones to digital rituals—are transforming spiritual life. Can machines ever truly mediate, perform, or even embody the sacred?

Prof Ian McGonigle, anthropologist and creator of the documentary “Technologies of the Soul”, reflects on this dynamic based on his observations of Singapore’s religious landscape.

🔗Read our interview with the filmmaker of this award-winning documentary https://digest.headfoundation.org/2025/09/21/technologies-of-the-soul-rethinking-the-sacred-in-a-hyperconnected-world-an-interview-with-prof-ian-mcgonigle/