Letter from the Ed
This week’s Into the Mystic (Page 73) is all about ways to feel calmer. And one tip in particular caught my eye – doing a digital detox. Ever since I got a phone with the internet on it, I’ve probably spent too much time looking at a screen. The trouble is, my phone is my alarm clock, so when I wake up it’s the first thing I pick up. Then, I’ll check a weather app so I know what to wear, then, being a journalist, I can’t help checking the news. Before I know it, 10 minutes or more has gone by – and that’s before I’ve got out of bed! My mum Doreen on the other hand has never owned a smart phone. In fact, when I visit, she gets annoyed if my dad Andy and I are both on our phones. ‘What’s so interesting on there?’ she asks. To be fair, she has a point – unless I’m looking at photos my brother has sent of his kiddies, which is time well spent! Jude says her family get-togethers are very different because of technology. ‘My mum Joan will go quiet, and I’ll notice she’s on her iPad,’ Jude chuckled. Perhaps we could all be a bit more ‘in the moment’. Beth’s bucking the trend though. She loves turning her phone off when she goes camping. ‘And on weekends, I leave it at home,’ she said. And Jude goes shopping without hers. ‘It can feel like I’ve forgotten something though!’ she admitted. Lisa’s noticed more people reading books and mags on the bus lately. ‘I read too,’ she said.
’It does make you switch off and feel calmer.’ Sounds like a digital detox might be worth a try!
My mum has never owned a smart phone
Sarah Firth, Editor thatslife@aremedia.com.au