TIME TO SWITCH OFF?

One girl's thoughts...

This week Ed Sheeran announced to his 5.5 million Instagram followers that he was leaving social media for a while so he could see the world through his eyes and not a screen. The multi-platinum selling artist has won every award going and no there aren't many similarities between Ed and I, actually nothing, but in short, I get it.

Recently a smashed iPhone meant that for a whole, long, painstaking 'what will I do' weekend there were no calls, texts, social, nothing. The weekend started out on a train to Brighton - wow, I never actually realised how long this journey took. Travelling across the Downs in pitch darkness there is literally nothing to look at. Secondly everyone is on their phone. At first there was a sense of self righteousness but as the journey reached its 8th minute, I started to wonder if I could actually do this.

Arriving for a drink with Dad, the only person in my entire life to never have owned a mobile phone, would surely sort this out. It was pretty refreshing not to check and recheck my phone, and let's face it, focus on a conversation. Although as I leant across the table to get a better look at the stranger's feed it was obvious from Dad's expression, I need to get out more.

Out was the routine of social stalking and video swiping, and in came people watching where I noticed the weirdest thing, no one looked at anyone or anything, ever. People walked the streets watching their phones in a zombie like state rather than being in the moment, and when I went to a gig someone watched the entire concert through their mobile.

It's not just Ed either, one of the most successful artists right now, Adele is rarely on social media and launched her comeback in a single TV spot. Yet she dominates the social world and has broken the Internet several times over. Ed's on to something and I don't think he'll be the last to take a break from social media. I'm not a luddite but I understand it. My weekend break was a break, but come Monday the temptation was there, and it was good to return to the grid, especially to post this.