or signup to continue reading They gather first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon. Highly social creatures, their barks compete with the birdsong in the trees. They frolick.
Some chase balls and sticks. Others rumble, leaping, lunging and rolling in the grass with each other. All wear joy on their faces.
On the path that skirts the dog park, a steady stream of humans passes. It's a silent procession. Deep in their smartphones and headphones, mouths downturned, they're insulated from the real world around them.
Connected in the digital world but alone in the real one. But amid that roiling canine mass they pass are happy humans. No headphones on their heads.
No smartphones in hand. With one eye on Sabrina, Oscar, Charlie or Moose, they're engaged in conversation with the people around them. It might be small talk about their pooches, but it's an important part of being human - an authentic connection.
Like the dogs swirling around their feet, they're social animals. We all are. And that's dawning on a growing number of people.
The annual Life Trends Report compiled by marketing services company Accenture Song identifies "social rewilding" as the top trend among Australians. One in two Australians were looking for dates in person rather than through dating apps and one in three were socialising with friends offline. One in five were embracing (forgive the acronym) JOMO, the joy of missing out on new technology.
Authentic interaction has come back into fashion - eve.