Summer 2026

T he thunderous Ferrari engines didn’t distract the four young men—with slim fitting pants and sharp haircuts—from the hypnotic stares into their phones.The roar, so familiar during Concours week, became a purr as the cars approached a Pebble Beach stop sign. But even the visual of the shiny blue and fiery red luxury cars, mere feet away, didn’t disturb their trances. They were polite, even thankful, when I exclaimed almost by accident,“You guys, look!” and quickly shifted from scrolling to recording what was right in front of them at the 2025 Concours d’Elegance. It made me pause, get my own face out of my phone while walk- ing, and appreciate my surroundings: The automobiles of my grandparents’ era chugging past; the visitors from overseas decked out in their finery; the throngs of younger folks giddily dreaming about owning their own fancy machines, all taking place against a dreamy, world-class ocean backdrop. It’s endemic, the ol’ “stroll and scroll.” Most of us are guilty of looking down at a device while we walk, even if it’s just once in a while. And trust me, we’re creating some non-memorable moments. You see it at air- ports, at the grocery store, and even cruising around what is considered to be one of the most picturesque towns in the world—Carmel. We wander with the seemingly faceless masses proudly displaying the crowns of our heads instead of our visages. Being in “two places at once,” meaning trying to enjoy an experience and at the same time scrolling through our phones, is scientifically proven to be detrimental to our mental well-being. The New York Times referenced a study from 2023: “Generally, when people go for a walk, they feel better afterwards, and this is what we saw in the phone-free walking group,” said Elizabeth Broadbent, a professor of health psychology. “In the phone-walking groups, these effects were reversed…Instead of feeling more positive after walking, peo- ple felt less positive—less excited, less happy, less relaxed.” Scrolling is added to a bit of everything these days. Public rest- room stalls (that used to exist for quite specific reasons) are now “let me scroll for a while” repositories, where awkward giggles escape from behind locked doors as the line backs up. Some restaurants put time limits on how long diners can remain at tables due to phones being used as a post-dessert course (often lasting longer than dinner itself) where people feed off of their feeds. It’s not just millennials and their Gen X compatriots com- mitting this faux pas. I’ll be 61 in July and I’m guilty. Recently at a Bruce Springsteen concert, the septuagenarian in front of me relentlessly scrolled through his Facebook and Yelp feeds, only peering up to watch a couple of songs. (Yes, I was being nosy.) The body releases small amounts of dopamine with each flick of an image and it’s up to us how to manage it. Solutions include creating black-out times where the phone is only used for calls, emails and texts. Others suggest scheduling a thirty- minute window to “doom scroll” all we want. Our brains aren’t the only body part to benefit.“Posture!” I’ll exclaim—even if in hushed tones—to my husband, who stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall. “Let’s not develop dowager’s humps!” Researchers now have enough evidence to publish studies on phone-related kyphosis, or rounding of the upper spine. Chiropractors, ortho- pedists, physical and massage therapists benefit from the myr- iad issues caused by “tech neck.” I’m not a big micromanager but I’ve had enough: No more of either of us walking around like human candy canes. No exiting an aircraft, stoop necked, at a pace as if we were shackled and dragging heavy weights. No checking on a stranger’s fat cat on Instagram when I can be watching my own adorable overweight dogs on our walk. You’re already ahead of the curve by reading this publication, whether in hard copy or online. It takes time and patience to read more than a photo’s caption on a phone. Reading reduces stress. Walking reduces stress. Star gazing, car gazing, navel gazing—all of it lowers stress hormones. So, next time you see a rainbow or a rare sports car gliding down Ocean Avenue, be proud that you saw it in real time—not on a six-inch screen. Plus, we’ll get to see that gorgeous smile of yours while you cruise through Carmel. Dina Ruiz is a former news anchor at KSBW TV, past host of “Candid Camera” and has starred on a reality show on the E! Network. She is a writer, editor and yogini. She resides on the Monterey Peninsula. BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT D I N A R U I Z The body releases small amounts of dopamine with each flick of an image and it’s up to us how to manage it. Looking Forward 56 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 6