me time
Your letters
We’d love to hear from you so why not write, email or tweet? The star letter writer will get £50 – so why not tell us what’s on your mind!
Caught in the net
What a great article you had in your July issue with Are we spending too much time online? It made me question just how much the internet has made an impact on our lives and how much we take it for granted. We use it for business, social networking and shopping, so it’s hard to keep an eye on how much is too much. I didn’t think I was that bad but when I sat down and worked it all out I was horrified. I’d been wasting at least eight hours a day – that’s 56 hours a week – browsing alone. I’ve put myself on an internet crash diet to reclaim that time doing things I’ve been putting off and actually spending more quality time with family and friends. Claire Gray, Hull
candis debate
Are we spending too much time online?
This month, three readers discuss whether we are becoming obsessed with the internet and look at the impact usage is having on our relationships
How much time do you spend on the internet? Aud: “I’d like to say I don’t spend a lot of time online, but I’d be lying. I get lots of work emails and go through them at home. I can often be online until 11pm. I could cut this down by not visiting social networking sites, but I’ve a habit of using them.” Lucy: “I use it to go on Facebook
to see what my friends are up to, and for shopping online, but I try not to use the internet too much as I find it distracts from ‘real’ life.” Esther: “I’m on it all day, everyday as it’s part of my job.
Then I’ll come home and go on for social use.”
Do you think you spend too much
time online? Esther: “I definitely spend too much
time online. The problem is, my work-life balance often blurs into each other, so at the weekend I might go online to book a holiday but end up checking my work emails too. That’s when it gets too much.” Aud: “I have a laptop
by my side every night when I’m watching TV. But I’m divorced, so I haven’t got someone asking me to put the computer down – it might be a different story otherwise!” Lucy: “In the past I’ve found myself spending hours online – it’s become a bit addictive. Even now if I hear something I want to know the answer to, I feel the urge to look it up. But constantly going online can be quite lonely as I can end up sitting on my own for hours, so I’m trying not to use it as much now.” Can too much internet usage affect relationships? Esther: “It can be the cause of arguments. My husband and I both work long hours and
READER PROFILES:
African odyssey I enjoyed the article about Anthea Rowan (“I followed my husband to the end of the earth”, July) as I’ve lived in Africa too. My husband taught mechanical engineering first in Mauritius and then for six years in Tanzania. We had terrific shortages so if you did see rice or sugar, you bought it and stored it for years. The water came on at 3am and went off again at 4am. You could buy meat, fruit and veg but milk, margarine and anything else was impossible. Like Anthea’s children, ours went to boarding school and I lived for the time they would come ‘home’ to us when we’d make sure we did everything – race boats in the sea, climb Mount Kilimanjaro and visit game parks. Britain is a great place to live but being part of other cultures can also have its rewards. G Barton, Rugby
Happy talk
AUD CLARK, 47 A children’s casting agent from Manchester, Aud thinks her teenage son spends too much time online but admits she often does too
ESTHER FREEMAN, 36 Esther, from London, runs sustainable fashion website
MsWandas.co.uk. She thinks the positives of being online exceed the negatives
so sometimes at night we will sit down together in the evening to watch a film on television, but then halfway through it I will catch him checking his Facebook page on his smartphone – it really annoys me!” Aud: “I can see how that would be irritating because if you’re sitting with someone and you want a bit of attention, but they’re too busy on the internet, you’d feel neglected.” Lucy: “One of the reasons I stopped using the internet as much is because my partner told
me he felt ignored
when I was online. It’s amazing how much time is swallowed up. I think if you’re not careful it can ruin your relationship.”
Is it okay for children to go online? Aud: “I live with my 18-year-old son and he uses Facebook,
LUCY BROWNLESS, 41 The beauty therapist from Stockport thinks using the internet is lonely and believes people would be better to get out and about instead
but the main thing he does is play computer games online. He’d much rather speak to his mates on the internet than be out and about with them. And he’s got a smartphone, which he’s constantly glued to. I do think it’s too much and I’d rather he be doing something else, but I can’t really discourage him because he sees me online a lot, so he’d think I was being hypocritical.” Lucy: “I’ve got a niece who’s the same and I don’t think it’s right for kids to spend so much time on the internet. Children should be going out and playing like we used to.” Esther: “Yes I’ve got a friend who recently asked their child if they fancied a game of tennis, but the kid said, ‘Can’t we just play it on the Wii?’ – that says it all!” Aud: “I think peer pressure comes into it because my son’s mates all want to go home and play computer games, so if he suggested a bike ride instead he’d get laughed at for being different. What also
WWW.CANDIS.CO.UK | JULY 2011 45
How refreshing to read about the people who get pleasure simply out of a place rather than a flash car or the latest gadget (My happy place, August). My own happy place is walking around Grasmere and Rydal Water in the beautiful Lake District – the route is relatively easy yet the views are wonderful and always lift my spirits. And I’m clearly not the only one who loves this walk as it’s usually very busy – but that just means you get to meet a lot of people who are usually smiling as much as I am! Sheila Brown, Consett
138 OCTOBER 2011 |
WWW.CANDIS.CO.UK
£50 LETTER
STAR
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164