MOBILE DEVICES - LOVE THEM, HATE THEM, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM

At one time it was the home computer that was taking up much of our leisure time. We would spend hours surfing the internet, playing online games or watching videos on Youtube. It was bad enough then, but now mobile devices are replacing the computer as the biggest thief of our time.

The iPhone and iPad have made it so easy for us to get online and get connected that we have lost touch with the real world. Face to face communication or even voice to voice communication is in danger of becoming obsolete. When family members text each other from different rooms or floors of the house rather than make the effort to walk there and talk face to face, you know quality family time is at risk in this household.

The older generation of mobile phones had limited applications, but with smart phones, there are more than enough applications to keep users happily occupied 24/7. Add the iPad, and we have a lethal combination of mobile devices guaranteed to drain the life out of the users. It is not uncommon for people to own at least two smart phones and an iPad, and carry these devices with them everywhere they go. Indeed, the iPad2 has become a status symbol of IT-chic.

The Star 20 January 2012

With wider broadband coverage, we can access the internet and log on to social media sites from almost anywhere. It's so easy to create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Skype, Blogs, and LinkedIn, and so affordable to subscribe to online papers and magazines. Small wonder that we spend so much of our free time online.

In the urban areas, the percentages are likely to be much higher.

The worst addicts are Facebook addicts. They come from all ages. Yesterday's edition of The Star quoted a woman in her 50s who said she no longer had normal conversations with her family. She would plan her daily activities around the FB games of 'Farmville' and 'Baking Life'. "I haven't had a good night's sleep in ages as I can't log off till the wee hours of the morning."

Another addict said, "I log on to Facebook every half an hour. If I can't go on FB, I feel uneasy and can't concentrate on my work." He added that it was never that bad till he bought a smart phone.

Admit it - most of us can't live without our mobile devices. Try going for a day or two without turning on your mobile phone or computer. You'll have withdrawal symptoms, and sink into deep depression or utter boredom.

So what's the solution?

Have the will-power to set limits to your online time. Or switch back to older generic mobile devices. Or give away your iPhone and iPad, and go cold turkey.

Otherwise, say goodbye to family time, to relationships and to a life that used to be filled with real friends, activities and laughter, not virtual smiles and pokes.

STAYING CONNECTED ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

I recently joined the community of Facebook and Twitter users. For almost a year I had fought off my daughters’ attempts to get me to sign up for a Facebook account. They listed all the benefits I would gain: keeping in touch with family and friends, sharing photo albums and videos, keeping informed of events, and so on.

Source: Matures Online - Focalyst Insight Report, April 2008

Frankly, I wasn’t the least bit interested. I was perfectly content to keep busy with my blog. What finally sold me was Facebook’s ability to link users almost instantaneously with long-lost friends from high school days. I registered for a Facebook account on 4 April 2009, and two days later, for added measure, a Twitter account.

Silver surfers are flocking to the Internet in ever increasing numbers. A Facebook report released in February 2009 puts women over 55 as the fastest growing demographic in the US. The men are not too far behind. The trend is similar across the world, according to the Facebook Global Monitor which tracks Facebook in 95 countries, including Malaysia and Singapore.

What started off as a social networking site for young people is now in danger of being swamped by silver-haired users. Good news for us seniors, but not so good for the younger users. They can’t turn down their parent’s request to be added to their friend list without sounding rude or arousing suspicion. But when parents are given access to what their children post online, perhaps it’s time for the latter to look for a new networking site. Pages such as the mock one below is a sample of what future Facebook pages might look like.

Click here for a bigger image.

Twitter is the current ‘happening’ place for senior net-users. When the media reported that Oprah was now on Twitter, it sparked interest among seniors to sign on so they could follow the tweets of their favourite celebrities.

Evan Williams, Chief Executive of Twitter, with Oprah Winfrey. Photo: NYT

As for me, I signed up for a Twitter account in response to suggestions from my blog visitors to organize events and get-togethers. I thought the easiest and fastest way to do this, and to get feedback was to use Twitter as a channel of communication. So if you are a senior and keen to be kept in the loop, sign up for a Twitter (or Facebook) account. It takes only a few minutes. Click here for more details. Once you are registered, please send me your Twitter url, so I can follow you and vice versa. Hopefully, that will start the ball rolling.