Time to take a break?

Thanks MawtheMerrier.
I shall show my OH the article. I think we both spend too much time on SM.
I've thought for a while that it's not good..

Confirms what many of us suspect Maw. Thank you for a reminder. I suppose like most things in life “everything in moderation” is a good recommendation.
?

OK, sounds like a good idea. See you in a week.
It's got to be easier than giving up ?!

Just the other day the DGSs were not allowed their 'devices' and sent out to play. They had a great time in the garden and I could hear lots of laughing and carrying on. The eldest actually said, 'That was great. Good idea to just play.' I thought I was hearing things!
I'm not quite brave enough for a 'digital detox'.

I gave up social media years ago and I do feel better for it. I do come on here, but in the main, people are nice here.

I could most definitely do with a break.
I'm fed up with myself for constantly having my head in my phone.
Just have to muster up the willpower.

I don’t really use it except here and maybe once a week on Facebook. I only answer phone calls from people I know, basically.

Soo addictive. We come to a standstill, a halt in our day and what do we do! Reach for our phone ( well, not everyone but a LOT of us do )

I often think - years ago a pause in time, blank moments to fill didn't result in me reaching for my phone! So what did I do? Because there would have been thousands and thousands of pause in time. Addiction, thats what it is, that we know but its mastering the addiction that is a problem to some......

It’s amazing that people spend on average 8 hours a day on social media I think, I’m not surprised they feel better for a detox - apart from any other considerations I’d have a headache if I was on that much.

I don’t have unpleasant interactions on social media or things that induce anxiety or depression. It’s easy to avoid.

The news(papers) can be pretty depressing though.

I think it said 8 hours a week, Casdon, which, actually, doesn’t seem that much

More people are addicted to scrolling than they realise.
I became aware of this habit last year. Now I see it wherever I go: people are just scrolling and scrolling not necessarily actually reading anything.
Btw I don’t mean I have the habit. It’s been talked about and documented for some time.

My grandson had all his devices taken away for a week after some particularly challenging behaviour.
Not only was he a much happier and well behaved little boy, but when the week was up he didn’t ask for it back.
Trying to separate the twelve year old from Her iPad might be more difficult.

Polly73

I think it said 8 hours a week, Casdon, which, actually, doesn’t seem that much

Sorry, you’re right Polly73, and no, it doesn’t seem that much, I wouldn’t have thought it would have a negative effect on most people,

Oh dear, I’m on here a few times a day ( just to have a peek) FB once a day in the evening.
Emails a few peeks during the day.
We have a family chat thingy , once a day.
Phone calls from family in the evenings.
And I read the online newspapers.
Plus I have the word games
Scrabble with my cousin
3 other games I do once a day
But I also garden, clean the house, do laundry, crafting.
I’m surprised I can fit it all in!
My iPad tells me how many hours a day I spend on it- I turned the function off!
But we are away next week, so hopefully we will be too busy sight seeing and sitting on a chilly beach to use the ipad too much.

Oh goodness, I do my online Family tree as well!

The news(papers) can be pretty depressing though

Agree. My OH spends a lot of time depressing himself reading newspapers.
He tries to interest me, I refuse to listen.

I think that SM can be lifelines for a lot of people, a ‘hobby’ or pastime for others, and yes, an addiction for some.

I don’t think we can extrapolate our own experience onto others, though. 8 hours a day on SM might be a shocking idea to someone who works, or who is out and about a lot; but to the housebound, or to someone living alone they can offer different views of life, and a chance to connect with others that might be otherwise unavailable. I think that interaction on SM can be a lot ‘healthier’ than getting one’s views from newspapers and/or broadcast media, yet I know several people who think that reading the Guardian and listening to R4 news means that they are better informed.

Sometimes, and about some things, maybe - our experience of SM are limited to the range of contacts we have on there - but IMO chatting to people who are living through things that are simply being reported in the press can be a lot more enlightening than reading or listening to mediated accounts. Look at the thread on here about claiming benefits, for instance. People who don’t have experience of the benefit system are going to learn more from that than if they read an article in a newspaper, whether that article is supportive towards claimants or otherwise, and crucially they can ask questions if there is anything that they don’t understand or want to know. That’s just one example, the same is true of so many other topics, so long as people don’t screen out views that oppose their own.

I agree.
Is there a button I can,press?

Honestly, scrolling around gransnet is as much as I am able to do at the minute, in order to get some human interaction.

You and me both MissA

It's like the hotel California, Lucca.

Doodledog

I think that SM can be lifelines for a lot of people, a ‘hobby’ or pastime for others, and yes, an addiction for some.

I don’t think we can extrapolate our own experience onto others, though. 8 hours a day on SM might be a shocking idea to someone who works, or who is out and about a lot; but to the housebound, or to someone living alone they can offer different views of life, and a chance to connect with others that might be otherwise unavailable. I think that interaction on SM can be a lot ‘healthier’ than getting one’s views from newspapers and/or broadcast media, yet I know several people who think that reading the Guardian and listening to R4 news means that they are better informed.

Sometimes, and about some things, maybe - our experience of SM are limited to the range of contacts we have on there - but IMO chatting to people who are living through things that are simply being reported in the press can be a lot more enlightening than reading or listening to mediated accounts. Look at the thread on here about claiming benefits, for instance. People who don’t have experience of the benefit system are going to learn more from that than if they read an article in a newspaper, whether that article is supportive towards claimants or otherwise, and crucially they can ask questions if there is anything that they don’t understand or want to know. That’s just one example, the same is true of so many other topics, so long as people don’t screen out views that oppose their own.

It said 8 hours a week Doodledog

I'm only on GN and WhatsApp. My DH is always on FB having disagreements over politics and every other subject under the sun. Its not for me.
However, it can be a lifeline for those who live alone or are unable to get out.

I don't think it's just social media either, I think the news in general is anxiety inducing. We are given too much information for us to cope with, I think.

I like being on facebook to see nice stuff, nice photos of families etc but I still appreciate even that can be anxiety inducing for people. I know I've worked with some young Mums who find it causes them to feel depressed as they don;t live up to facebook standards - even though they live perfectly normal lives iykwim. It is sad really.

I also think mobile phones add to a level of anxiety too. I leave mine at home a lot as i don't need to be contacted so immediately all the time. It isn't necessary

Sorry I think that was a bit of a rant