We all become a little bit too attached to our online devices and the cyber world so columnist Emma Connolly is looking to make sure her time is well spent online.
• I WAS intrigued this week to read about Ireland’s online safety charity CyberSafeKids’ fifth annual CyberBreak designed to encourage us all to completely ditch our smart devices (phones, tablets, laptops, computers, and gaming consoles) and take a 24-hour break from the online world.
It takes place from 5pm on Friday October 18th, to 5pm on Saturday October 19th, and do you know what? I’m going to give it a go. Various things lately have suggested to me that I’m spending too much time on my phone and I’m curious to see how I’ll get on.
One of the tips CyberSafeKids suggests to balance your online and offline worlds is to actively decide what you consider to be ‘time well spent’ online. If it’s not endlessly scrolling through social media, then make a deliberate effort to limit it, they say. Oops, so no more looking at videos of other people’s dogs and dinners then.
They also say to ‘make sure that your phone is not the first thing that you look at in the morning.’ Instead, they suggest to make it an active choice to do something else – like stretching, meditating, eating breakfast. They’re novel suggestions, I’ll give them that. I could certainly see myself eating breakfast while on the phone but I’m thinking that isn’t what they had in mind, right?
Some recent ‘red flags’ that suggested I need to spend less time on my phone, specifically social media, was when I found myself getting insanely annoyed (and even a little envious) at some random person who was doing a big reveal of her shiny new pantry. Reasonable behaviour from a middle-aged woman (who already has a perfectly adequate pantry)? I don’t think so.
I also found myself getting furious at all those people who were ‘just popping on’ to show their latest ‘haul’ (of tat) from the high street. I didn’t want any of it, that’s not why I was angry, it was their blatant consumerism that was bugging me.
What happened to trying to get 30 wears from all our clothes? Other bugbears were when people started showing their Halloween decorations, making a big deal out of their slow cooker recipes (we all know how to make stew, get over yourselves), and the constant ads telling me I needed to order my new couch that very instant if I wanted it in time for Christmas.
I hadn’t even thought about a new couch until then, and then it consumed me.
All signs point to me taking at least a day off-line to recalibrate (and if I still think I need a couch after that then there should be time, right?).
• To be honest, I’d say I need more than a day off social media, I need a proper dopamine detox.
This is a real buzz trend at the moment and what it involves is eliminating access to any activity that drives instant gratification or impulsive behaviour; so staying away from mindless activities that suck up your time, attention, and energy – in my case scrolling, but also apps and notifications and screen services.
According to the experts by eliminating these potentially problematic stimuli, our brain has a chance to calm down, be more present, more connected, and more focused on what truly matters to us (not couches). It makes sense, if you think about it.
Where did I read about all this? Er, online. Enough said.
• My timing for this detox was awful though as I’m in the middle of my debut foray into DoneDeal where I’m trying to sell two almost-new kids’ bikes.
My smallie needs a new bike and while Santa is probably the best man to ask for one, I said I’d introduce her to the world of industry and commerce so we hatched a plan to sell two that she’s too big for, and perhaps use the money to invest in something new.
I figured DoneDeal was as good a platform as any to sell them and so off we went taking our photos, uploading them and all the rest. That was last week, and my new favourite thing is checking the website for enquiries, and god is it addictive.
I think in another world I could have been a trader on the stock exchange – I can see myself now shouting ‘buy, buy, buy .. no sell!’ Imagine, the thrill!
Selling a bicycle online isn't as easy as Emma thought but she's enjoying the 'buzz' of trading.
Of course that would have yielded far bigger profit margins compared to bikes, but I have to work with what I have.
Speaking of which, we’ve had no bites yet, unfortunately. I had a message asking me if I’d discount the asking price due to the rust. ‘What rust?’ I replied indignantly. The ‘helpful’ lady pointed out exactly where said rust was (in my excitement I had genuinely failed to see it), so I reluctantly dropped my price but still no ... DoneDeal.
I live in hope. Meanwhile, most of my spare time is now spent looking for other random things to sell. So far I’ve a telescope, lawn scarifier and a high chair, and I’m only halfway through clearing out the garage. I’ll make my fortune yet, mark my words!
Anyway, something, or rather someone, else I was intrigued to learn about this week was saint-to-be Carlo Acutis.
Our parish priest mentioned him at mass on Sunday and I was so fascinated I googled him immediately when we got home. The London-born Italian teen died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15.
Two miracles have been attributed to his intercession and interestingly he has only just been approved by the Vatican as the first millennial saint. Fascinating.
Finally, the other thing that struck me at mass was how someone always forgets to turn their phone off.
Gas how it happens every single time without fail and it’s always one of the louder ring tones too. Maybe I’m not the only one who needs a little cyber break ... although, let he who hasn’t sinned cast the first stone!
