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You may read this article after following a link on Twitter. Or maybe a friend recommended it on another part of the social media universe. Most of the time, I read reports, reports, interesting stories, polls, opinion polls and other information documents by scrolling through social media.
But why not take a month off? In Britain, the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), with the support of the National Health Service, recommended "Scroll Free September", which is to turn off smartphones or other communications devices that have transformed – and even dominated – our lives in a little over a decade.
I remember a time when the biggest daily nightmare was finding the keys to my house and my car. Now the challenge is to try to locate my phone and I too am tempted to leave for a month. We all know that even when we sit down with a reasonably serious goal on social media, we find ourselves drawn into a whirlwind of uselessness.
In my case, I end up watching cute animal pictures or silly things while being filmed by their friends, like jumping from a roof on a trampoline. The results are predictable – and I end up being completely distracted.
Shirley Cramer, Executive Director of the RSPH, says the purpose of the campaign is "that by the end of the month, we will be able to reflect on what we missed and what we appreciated at instead of scrolling our news threads ".
Many people interviewed by the RSPH said that they would participate. But addictions of all kinds are hard to beat. In Great Britain, there is a month of January when alcohol drinkers are invited to quit and a Stoptober in October for smokers to give up their habit
. consider taking part and a third thought that it would be beneficial for their sleep patterns, real world relationships and mental health and well-being.
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Read more about Gavin Esler:
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That does not seem to be the case, but the world has never had so much
while I applaud the idea, I can not help but to see two major flaws.
First, we lie. We lie to each other about improving our eating habits. We join so-called gyms to be fit and then do not show up because it's boring or too laborious. I'm part of the 65 per cent who would consider participating, but honestly, I'm not sure I can make cold turkey.
The second reason this well-intentioned idea will not work, is because it does not quite understand for example, when cars and trains appeared in their primitive form in the nineteenth In Great Britain, the 1865 Red Flag Act required that "road locomotives" operate at a maximum speed of 4 mph (6.4 km / h). h) in the country and more slowly in the cities. The law requires that a man carrying a red flag must walk in front of all road vehicles used to transport loads to be transported.
Humans have always been confused by how to adapt to new technologies, but we have always found the way, without experience is as useless as driving behind a person who walks [19659002ThekeyistolearnhowtocontrolthebeastofsocialmediaratherthanrunningawayThebestsuggestionsarenottousesocialmediaintheeveningortheroomandnottocheckaccountsatworkexceptduringbreaks
More importantly, educational institutions, especially schools, should expand existing courses. the use of the Internet and how to manage the digital world. We should teach our children – and ourselves – some basic tips.
This may include checking with who you are logged in on social networks, avoiding those who have fake names or anonymous identities. Obviously, perhaps, we need to consider whether the source of information on social media can be reliable and if so, why. When you receive an unsolicited contact, is there any disguised advertising or even political propaganda? Is your contact a person or a bot? How do you know?
Above all, we must remember that social media means exactly what the name suggests. Nothing that happens on social media is private. The social is precisely the opposite of the private and your digital trace could come back to haunt you in five years when, older and wiser, you are looking for a new job or meet someone you hope to impress.
abandon social media in September. But more wisely, think about what's useful in your life and what parts are destructive. Personally, I do not want a person with a red flag in front of my car, but I want to get to my destination without a car accident.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and television presenter
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