Social Media – Tien-Jen

The greatest joys in life are often simple things. Thinking about a life offline makes me feel nostalgic as I transport to a time when we listened to tapes, spent lots of time at the beach and hung out with the neighbours. Recently, I’ve been thinking about our screen time and how we live in a society with a growing phone addiction. Sitting on the bus I looked around and saw everyone’s heads down looking at their phone. I feel guilty of this too. After watching The Social Dilemma it made me think about our digital consumption and digital footprint and how valuable it is to spend more time offline.

Being present and curious about the moment. After scrolling, reading, or watching something on my phone, there’s this desire to do something that really feeds my soul. Looking around you can discover so many things just by being curious. Curiosity makes me think of Alice in Wonderland, wandering into the Rabbit hole. It makes me think of adventure, exploring, experience and learning. When we’re curious about our surroundings, we’re more engaged and present. We don’t dwell on the past but focus on what’s happening in the now.

Spontaneous conversations with strangers. There’s much we can learn from small interactions with people. Having random conversations with people at the cafe or bus stop (if it’s safe to do so) can be another way to engage in the world. It helps us pause for a moment and see the world through a different lens. It’s easy to go through a day seeing the world from our own perspective, but we can learn so much from talking to people. It can also make us feel connected to the world and remind us that we’re not alone.

The Art of Daydreaming. People watching is one of those small pleasures in life. Imagine sitting at a cafe staring outside the window with the coffee aroma floating in the air as you watch people wander past. It’s nice to do nothing and just let your mind wander. In contrast to being present, sometimes having a momentary moment to escape reality can be fun. I find daydreaming makes me feel in touch with my creativity and my child-like self. Creativity is best explored when there are no distractions, and it’s just you and your mind in conversation.

Spending time doing the things you love. I’ve had a pile of hundreds of origami paper sitting around for half a year and they breathed a sigh of sweet relief when I opened the package. It was fun to fold them into a swan or a box. There was something therapeutic about it. I think of spending time with your loved ones, going for a long walk, playing or listening to music, or exploring the city. The wonderful thing about time offline is enjoying the hobbies and activities without the interruption of a screen. There’s something about when you do something you love that makes you feel more present and alive.

Take care of your well-being. Technology can impact our sleep, mental health, and overall wellbeing. It’s easy to feel more stimulated after spending time online or watching something before bedtime. Spending time doing things such as meditating, journaling or reading can help you unwind at night time. I found removing several social media platforms helped with my mental health. It’s common for many of us to spend several hours during the week on our computers at work. Taking time to switch off is beneficial for our minds and wellbeing.

How do you like to spend your time offline?

Art by Kate Pugsley

In the digital age, the question of privacy seems to be ever changing, as large corporations have an increasing amount of information on individuals. Reading Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier, was eye opening and makes you ask a lot of questions in regards to privacy, technology and social media. However, Social media is a tool and a platform, and it comes down to how we are using it, and what we are using it for. In a sense, surveillance is not simply the cameras on the street or in the shop, but in our daily spaces.

Direct, personalised and targeted marketing is increasing, as algorithms are able to track what we have viewed, searched, liked, shared and purchased. Someone dear to me mentioned the book 1984, which I am currently reading and find it really interesting. However, at the time it seemed unlikely that it may occur, that Big Brother would be watching a person’s every move, but it seems that it’s the reality today. On one hand, we can decide what we want to share, and on the other hand, whatever information is searched, posted and clicked online is always recorded. The sense of mystery in ones life is not as apparent.

Spending Time Offline

Lack of Privacy

Art by Kate Pugsley