I know I go on but all this digital stuff is a bit depressing. Just look at these British stats:
The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years. Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.
But what else are they not doing? Talking to people face to face? Playing games? Planting giant vegetables? With the collapse of content in favour of Web 2.0 flashing lights and curved edges, it is getting harder and harder to see any societal shifts or any new generation as empowering so much as distracting and that reminds me of one thing – the fall of Rome. Sure you can compare the fall of Rome to just about anything but that does not mean I can’t pull out the old chestnut for present purposes. So a few questions:
- What new non-digital activity have you taken on to balance your life…or even to unbalance it?
- What non-digitalness would you like to take on if you have the resources or the guts?
- What would you rather compare to the fall of Rome?
There you go. Pure brilliance once again in the seven minutes before I have to rush out the door.