There’s still time

Thank you to Stuff reporter Kris Boult for his article in the Taranaki Daily News on November 2 to advertise the dance performances of Just In Time being staged at the Val Deakin Dance Theatre in New Plymouth from today to Sunday.

This is to honour Suffrage 125 and celebrate New Zealand women past and present. People who love ballet will be in for a very enjoyable weekend of watching real stories expressed in dance movements. Tickets are available at very reasonable prices from www.trybooking.co.nz/372. Telephone 06 755 0644 if you have questions about performance times.

Mary Perrott, New Plymouth

For some reason being glued to my phone, hiding in a corner, makes me feel safe and takes the social anxiety away.

Media Council

At a recent work event I found myself in a familiar panic. I stood in the corner looking around for someone I knew, but there was no one. Not having the guts to go up and network, I reached into my bag, pulled out my phone and scrolled aimlessly.

Not to pass the time or out of habit, although I do that too, but to hide. My iPhone works as a security blanket. It’s my invisibility cloak.

If I’m on my phone, looking down, not meeting anyone’s eye, they can’t see me.

It works in all situations, from feeling awkward and anxious in a social gathering, to avoiding Greenpeace or the Red Cross on the street.

For some reason being glued to my phone, hiding in a corner, makes me feel safe and takes the social anxiety away.

What did people do for social anxiety before phones? Hide in the toilets, face the wall or put a paper bag over their head?

I know my relationship with my phone is not healthy. However, a lot of our technology habits aren’t healthy.

When friends and I booked a weekend away at a farm house in the depths of King Country recently, we second-guessed our decision when we re-read the listing only to find it said no wi-fi.

How would we let Facebook friends and Instagram followers know what a great time we were having, keep our Tinder game up, or catch the newly-released Poke´ mon Go generation?

We breathed a collective deep sigh and decided to go anyway and try to enjoy the fresh air without being glued to a screen.

Without wi-fi, or service for that matter, I never knew where my phone was because I wasn’t using it and surprisingly, I didn’t panic.

It was nice not checking it every couple of minutes out of habit for no real purpose.

Dr Sarah Cowie, senior lecturer in behavioural psychology at the University of Auckland, said many things you can do on smart phones have a high chance of reward, like getting a like on Instagram or receiving an email.

‘‘You can Google the answer to any question,