Skip to main content

Mobile dependant in Prague.


I came to a very sad realisation this past weekend whilst visiting Prague. I am one of them. One of those who feel the need to post what's happening over social media. One of those who wants to put the location filter on snapchat so someone can see what city I am visiting. I think this is sad. 

My phone broke on Saturday, the same day I left for Prague. I tried checking it every 10 minutes to see if the screen was improving but it was indeed just getting worse. I depended on my friends phone to let mumma know I was safe and sound, and kept up to date with my messages and friends by the computer available at the hostel. This was weird. 

This feeling of dependency on a machine that does nothing but encourage antisocial behaviour gave me an idea. I wanted to try and not use social media for the month of November, this idea soon vanished when I realised I wouldn't have a phone until around the 12th of November, so instead I decided to only stick with Facebook and use neither Whatsapp (because i physically can't), Spapchat or Instagram. For one WHOLE month. I'll let you know how that goes...

However it did make me breathe Prague in with whole other attitude. I could have repaired my phone while in the city and at the beginning I wanted to but then the thought of having this constantly beeping device on me suddenly put me off the idea. I am so grateful it broke that weekend. I mean I didn't want it to break but kind of glad it did.

On out last day in Prague we had a nice brunch, we relaxed and got over the hangovers and loss of sleep we had experienced the pass few days. We drank lemonade and hydrated. Not having my phone going off every 10 minutes was a liberating feeling. We crossed the Charles Bridge later that day and 9 out 10 people, because I can't say 9 and a half, were on there phones, snapping, taking pics, messaging and other. I noticed the way the water moved, the direction the wind was blowing, the amount of glass windows the castle had in the background, the different shades of pink the sunset was creating, the people in the tiny boat houses along the river banks, the colour of the lighting in all the buildings around us, little things I otherwise would not have noticed. 

We have become too accustomed and rely on technology and the Internet instead of learning the practical knowledge of everyday life. What will your phone teach you about a life and death situation? How will an app help you get out of being eaten by a bear. Oh wait, I can imagine it. You're standing in the woods somewhere and a giant grizzly bear approaches, your nerves don't allow you to type anything on Internet. But you can snapchat it. You can get the 5 second footage or quickly ask Siri how to get out of it. Oh no, it's too late. You just got eaten by a bear. Or think of the increasingly known cases of selfie deaths. They don't care they could very well die by taking that selfie on a rock somewhere I don't know how high above sea level. It's cool right? Is it really?

I am all for technology advances and innovating but what happened to the days where phones were for texting and calling only? and playing that snake game on the old nokias. What happened to the terrible photos the disposable camera produced? I miss it. I encourage you all to try and take a break from social media, from the unnecessary apps we have become far too accustomed to. To use a paper map and not GoogleMaps, to use the calling option instead of sending an empty WhatsApp with a few emojis, to not take pictures but try and mentally take in all your surroundings, to laugh with each other and not feel the need for the rest of your so called friends to see. You know that over 50% of the people you have on your social media accounts aren't actually friends. A friend of mine deleted Instagram this weekend because she learned it wasn't good for her right now. Do the same. Give yourselves a chance to see things in a different way. Take a break from all this digitalisation and decrease the amount of hours you spend on your phone. You might just decrease your chance of a brain tumour too. So it is worth a shot. Go anti-social media for November. 

Btw, Prague was amazing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Something about FN

There is something about travelling alone that gives me a good feeling.  Going at your own pace through security, getting a coffee and a croissant and sit down enjoying a good book while waiting for your gate to show up. Walking to the gate (because I gave myself plenty of time arriving early) and waiting it out. Sitting down next some complete strangers who you end up sharing a few words with, in whatever language you both understand (or the language of pointing to things and nodding your head). If you are lucky enough to sit by the window, enjoy the view. See how little things are when you are 10.000 metres above the ground flying at 750 km per hour looking at the melted snow on the top of the Alps, realising it was just over a month ago when they were white coated rocks. There is just something about it. Also about arriving, running, rushing to your bus or train or boat because to get around in Central Europe you may need all three.  There is just something about it. 
1 comment
Read more

Who's the strange one?

I'm a very curious person, the sort of person who, if interested in something, will research every last details of this. Next week is the deadline for 'erasmus' applications to study a term (or more) abroad and I have found myself surrounded by people asking me all about it. I seem to be the only person with a basic knowledge on the subject in my circle of friends. As me and some friends have been preparing a presentation for one of my university subjects, we have been talking about 'known' bloggers here in Spain, I am supposed to give examples in my presentation and my friends have given me loads of names of people with 'funny' blogs or 'funny you-tubers', when I told them I had no idea who any of these people are they were shocked. They may know everything about insignificant matters such as funny videos but at the end of the day none of them have a clue about what they are actually interested in, for example, studying abroad. Some say I take
1 comment
Read more

Are university degrees worth it?

It's exam time and I have decided to write a little piece on a university degree from a current student's point of view. A survey taken place in the UK in 2015 says half of all students agree their university degree was not worth the thirty something thousand pound debt it left them with. However, records show that over ten thousand more students applied to university last year.  A similar study was done in Spain, in 2015 there was a record of 1.361.340 students inscribed in university, public and private. Again, the number of college applications has increased while over half or the recent graduates regret their decisions on course or university.  Sixty percent of graduates in Peru said they regret getting their university degree. Many of the surveyed pupils say they regret their past decisions due to either they didn't get enough orientation or the course wasn't structured properly. Students today are demanding more than what they expected when un
1 comment
Read more