11 Comments
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Taryn Archer's avatar

I really feel you. I always want to give up my phone, in particular social media, only to realise it's kind of integral for my business. I do use an app that blocks my useage though so I can only go on it for half an hour a day! It's helped!

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Stephanie Cooper's avatar

Hi Taryn, what app is it that you use? I’ve been looking at doing this too, as much as I want to dent it but I’m definitely getting to much screen time

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Taryn Archer's avatar

It's called app block! Hope it helps x

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Arthur Parkinson's avatar

Yh I know that the point is some of us make a living from being on it, it’s not just passing time.

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Nicolas Sutro's avatar

I dig this piece. Not so much for the issues you raise re phones, but for the brio and spontaneity of your writing.

I did, of course, find it this morning via scrolling. But now I’ve found it and read it (along with a couple of other pieces) I can walk away, feeling good because I’ve found some sweet writing that worked for me, to find my own brain, look after it by doing some analogue stuff, and do some writing (which I will then, probably, post on my Stack for people to find and read thereby contributing to the whole digital scene…and so it goes on…)

Your point about not following other gardeners is interesting. I don’t really follow many other people who write fiction here; some yes of course, but somehow not many. I don’t want to risk being part of a clique, slightly worried about risk of transactional following….yes, I’m sure I may be missing some great fiction writing, but there are other great writers doing their work here who interest me, and a broad spread of material is really interesting to me (as @India Knight put it, one can read S/stack rather like a magazine). I’m not sure what the algorithm gods here make of my following patterns (unlike on Instagram where my feed was, by the time I left the platform, phalanxes of queer leathermen all of us striding around giving one another shout outs and a whole lot more [no issues with our guts for porn] - all fine and good, but, man, after a while I felt just like a leatherman equivalent of the, as you say brilliant, Parker Posey).

I think your idea of a Cotswold themed White Lotus is cool. Please would you resurrect Jennifer Coolidge from series 1 and 2, and Tom Hollander, Theo James, Sabrina Impaccatiore and Leo Woodall from series 2 to join the characters you create from your observations of real life, not digital life, at Estell Manor and Charlbury station.

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Becky's avatar

I know what you mean. I read an article recently about what scrolling does to your dopamine levels and vowed to read a proper book every morning instead of scrolling x

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Liam's avatar

Instagram is a difficult one. It used to be more wholesome and fun and I think we hold onto that, along with photos posted over the years.

But it’s more soulless now; engagement pushed to Reels, Stories and ads. Then there’s the old perfection > character thing. I sometimes think that a lot of people will follow a pretty face and not really be interested in their hobbies and interests or anything else the account is interested in posting.

I don’t have a brand as such or a business and yet it’s still difficult to leave. Where else do you go?

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That bird's avatar

I agree;. the phone sucks the life out of me before I even begin, most days. I definitely wouldn't mind if it fell into a fountain 😄

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SUZ's avatar

refuse to have phone/have land line....actually an old Brit dial phone repurposed on Etsy and covered with Frida Kahlo pix/US adapter provided......tourists here taking photos of ocean rather than actually looking at ocean.....reading the wonderful Samantha Harvey recently and she said something about not owning a cell phone!/Oh-la-la......have laptop/shut laptop after a couple of hours....choice/control......

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Rose's avatar

I look at my phone n the morning. Then at around five. Then it is turned off. Wasn't raised with one. So it isn't my life😉

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Anna Taylor's avatar

I use those platforms too for work. Leaves using them and my phone as bitter sweet. I did have a seperate instgram profile for funny tears rolling down my cheeks videos. Alas I lost the password. More importantly, what is your prediction for White lotus 🪷- looking forward to Monday night. I think Timmy will join the Monastery. Who gets whacked tho?

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