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Shutterstock/Syda Productions

'We're so obsessed with documenting our life on social media, we're forgetting to live it'

Put your phones away and live your life without the lens, writes Andrew McGinley.

I FIND IT discouraging to witness the way in which we experience the world has been altered so dramatically in recent times.

This change has coincided with the onslaught of technology and social media production, which is synonymous with our lives. It’s hard to believe that there once existed a time when good, old fashioned, natural memory was the only of method relaying their own unique version of events to others.

Those who were not fortunate enough to possess any kind of a photographic device actually had to experience events, occasions and sights through their eyes.

The ‘if it’s not on Facebook it didn’t happen’ mindset

The media obsessed age we now find ourselves in unfortunately paints a drastically different picture. The mind-set of “If it’s not on Facebook it didn’t happen” and a frightening availability of internet access have created an ever growing reliance on social media.

As mobile internet and more traditional internet slowly merge, social media has emerged as the predominant medium of connectivity between people. This thriving popularity is contributing, in my opinion to an addiction that should be discussed in the same vein as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes.

shutterstock_251204560 Shutterstock / Marko Subotin Shutterstock / Marko Subotin / Marko Subotin

It first struck me four years during a Mumford and Sons gig. So eager had I been to obtain some top class, first hand footage of what was my favourite band at the time I forgot to enjoy the show. I came to the realisation half way through the show that I had been applying more attention to obtaining footage of my experience than I was to actually experiencing it.

Rigidly I stood there with both two feet planted firmly on the muddy ground below me, squinting at the little five inch screen which my arms were growing tired of holding up high, ensuring that I got the most impressive shot possible.

Looking at the gig through my phone

As soon as it dawned on me, there was a brief spell of self-pondering. The crowd around me were jumping around carelessly with their hands in the air. They were absorbed in the moment. I immediately got rid of my phone. Shame was hanging over me. In an act of redemption, I set about doing what should have been my concern from the beginning; making my own contribution to the electrifying atmosphere that surrounded me.

Those were the formative years of the smartphone frenzy. Since then, the situation seems to have escalated fiercely. The dramatic surge in popularity of photographic based social medias, such as Snapchat and Instagram, has us transfixed by the necessity to capture everything, from the brilliant to the more basic and boring.

To most, the effects of this brutal obsession won’t be evident. An overwhelming desire to update ‘’My Story’’ on Snapchat and to take countless choreographed group pictures has changed the spirit of social interaction.

shutterstock_229725688 Shutterstock / g-stockstudio Shutterstock / g-stockstudio / g-stockstudio

 

There is a little glimmer of guilt that creeps up on our conscience every time we sacrifice social engagement. The same guilt is easily outweighed by the need to “capture the moment”.

Real, genuine, conversation is being sacrificed in favour of peering through the lens. Sadly, this sacrifice goes largely unnoticed.

People on their phones in the pub 

Venture into any pub in your locale which attracts crowds of younger people and you are sure to witness the phenomenon in full effect. In what is considered in most towns and cities as the epicentre of socialising, bars should be one place where one can break off the shackles of social media.

For at least a few hours in a week we should be able to engage in some silly, undocumented fun with friends.

Instead, a constant awareness of serial “snappers” makes for two reactions. On one hand, you have individuals reluctant to let loose, fearful of any footage of their antics surfacing online. On the other, individuals playing to the cameras in some kind of unnatural, pitiful act, in a vain attempt to appear “born entertainers”.

Along with this there is sure to be dozens of selfie taking girls (and boys!) stretching their limbs for the perfect angle, “duckfaces” abound, clogging up the dancefloor and disrupting the few who came to have a genuinely good time.

shutterstock_144889726 Shutterstock / Syda Productions Shutterstock / Syda Productions / Syda Productions

It’s frightening to consider how fast this technological craze has gripped us adolescents. Barely five years ago, there seemed to be only a few blocky digital cameras floating around the vicinity. Little thought was given to pictures that couldn’t be shared instantly.

What does the future hold?

Back then, someone had to acquire the time to upload them to a more basic version of Facebook. An excitement ensued from flicking through a beautiful, messy and simply natural collection of mementos from a great night. The youth today are more aware of their online presence.

With software advancing so rapidly, who knows what’s in store? What’s to come for the children who will have already grown up with the lens as part of their everyday lives?

Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see a change. Maybe we’ll see a return of old dusty photo albums in the back of peoples cupboards, proper socialising in pubs and clubs and the opportunity for young men and women to jump around with their hands in the air in the front row at their favourite band without worrying about who sees it, but themselves.

Andrew McGinley is a 21-year-old blogger from County Galway. You can follow his blog here

Read: ‘I weighed a colossal 27 stone aged 21. I was one of the fattest people ever on RTE’s Operation Transformation’>

Read: ‘Our love of Bowie brought me and my wife together. I couldn’t bring myself to wake her to tell her the news’>

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37 Comments
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    Mute Anne
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:23 AM

    Eight fines…is that all?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:41 AM

    The consequences of privatisation and price gouging.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:56 AM

    @Dave Doyle: The consequences of lack of personal or social responsibility by those who want the other guy to pay for everything.

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:14 AM

    @MK76: Not necessarily, most of the dumping in Donegal is done by the refuse collectors.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:22 AM

    @MK76: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ireland-s-wild-waste-shows-us-just-how-filthy-lucre-can-be-1.3535326
    Where’s the social responsibility by overpaid price gouging waste disposal companies here?

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    Mute johnp
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:31 AM

    @Dave Doyle: people can bring their waste to a council dump for a fraction of the cost of bin charges. Anyone caught fly tipping on a large scale should b jailed

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:04 AM

    @Dave Doyle: Always someone else’s fault Dave. Just like always should be someone else picking up the tab.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:29 AM

    @MK76: Waste disposal shouldn’t have been privatised. Price gouging should be stopped. There’s always consequences when greed is rampant.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:10 AM

    @Dave Doyle: Now you’re just littering this forum with shallow rhetoric.

    The folks who don’t want to pay privatized bin charges are the same folk who didn’t want to pay the local authorities to do it.

    So the core issue here is folk just don’t want to pay.

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:12 AM

    @MK76: you pay either way, regardless.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:25 AM

    @Stephen Devlin: Licensed ones, or lads offering to take away bags for €2 per bag on facebook?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:14 AM

    @Do the Bort man: Licenced

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:33 AM

    @MK76: Just stop with the BS. That’s pure drivel. Many people simply cannot afford to pay these exhorbitant charges. That’s the bottom line.
    You, like the rest of the FG fanboys, and government think people have bottomless pits to finance the consequences of the privatisation of public services. When they don’t, you try and blame them on the problems that occur as a result of government policies. All of the social problems that exist in the country are as a result of government policy.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:05 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Incorrect. Those of who give a damn just aren’t up for funding the “I don’t want to pay” brigade and would prefer to see public resources being spent on those who actually NEED help.

    Do you think folks who can afford to pay shouldn’t?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:43 PM

    @MK76: I don’t want to pay brigade?

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    Mute John
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:53 PM

    @Dave Doyle: I guarantee you these people that ‘can’t afford to pay’ can afford sky tv, cans,holidays and everything else they deem is important in their lives.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 2:13 PM

    @John: How many of them do you actually know?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 2:28 PM

    @MK76: The same slander was used against water protesters, is used against the homeless and those who cannot afford their own homes.
    Will the banks pay the money they stole from people?
    Will Doherty pay her bills?
    Will developers who borrowed billions pay their bills?
    The answer is No. Paying is only for the plebs. The easily slandered.

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    Mute Anto Whelan
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:01 PM

    @Do the Bort man: do you have a link?

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:25 AM

    In one place I lived in the city centre the bins were rarely collected after privatisation.
    I started calling the council and saying “it’s not my fault the bins weren’t collected, now there are nappies on the street, this is a public health hazard, this is your responsibility” and it worked. So we were paying a private company for bin tags and the council was collecting the bins.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:19 AM

    @SC: Only admin jobs in DCC are safe. the people at the top looking out for themselves as usual. there should be an invesigation into who gets these contracts and who benifits.

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    Mute Willy Malone
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:22 AM

    If they can’t afford the charges, they must live with the rats and sewage their waste creates? That’s privatisation the FFG way.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:58 AM

    @Willy Malone: Cant afford or won’t pay?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:14 AM

    @MK76: What about when you do pay and they dump it in illegal landfills.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:05 AM

    @Stephen Devlin: You mean the random lads who you pay a fraction of the cost to, to pick up your rubbish.

    Well who would of thought that was in any way dodgy?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:13 AM

    @MK76: no I mean the licenced refuse collectors.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:26 AM

    @Willy Malone: Two private waste companies collecting in my estate, competing on prices. The alternative is for me to drive to the dump, which costs around a half of what it costs to have my bins emptied.

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    Mute William Kelly
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:47 AM

    The cost of these inspections & dumping clear ups is a horrendous consequence of a ramshackle privatisation, not to even cost the environmental damage & bad image caused.
    The private operators should be awarded discrete areas, 100%, & be responsible for collecting every household & business therein, so that non compliant addresses can be identified & enforced.
    One truck per area, cost efficiencies & no missed addresses will follow.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:53 AM

    @William Kelly: good idea ,but it won’t be taken up

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:01 AM

    @William Kelly: The private companies won’t take the non profitable areas. What has happened is the council has given away the areas that used to bring in money and now are left cleaning up the other areas at a loss. They should take control of all of the profit and loss making areas and try to adjust the prices and enforcement so that they break even.

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    Mute Ciaran105
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:02 AM

    @William Kelly: Unfortunately this is Ireland ! We can’t even use the middle doors of a bus properly unlike most of Europe. Never gonna happen Sweet dreams William,,,, !

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    Mute Liam Ward
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:27 AM

    I’m surprised @ the journal this morning they have not yet reported on the news that broke yesterday evening Tues and that is that pint drinkers are to b hit yet again with a price hike from Diageo in two weeks time wonder how much greed d publicans in Dublin will slap on it ? More emty stools and closhers for Dublin pubs on the cards

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:17 AM

    @Liam Ward: Emty Stool – I think I went to school with that fella. He wasn’t in very often though.

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:28 AM

    @Liam Ward: Who cares? If you can’t afford it, don’t drink it.

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    Mute Donal Carey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:41 AM

    The problem with Dublin is people cannot afford to live there anymore and the last thing they want to pay for is rubbish anybody renting in Dublin must be struggling. I am surprised there is not a lot more .

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:47 AM

    @Donal Carey: so move to where you can afford lots of us did and commute. Fecking snowflakes is right. Gang of whingeing “I wants”…

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    Mute Mark McDermott
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:10 AM

    @Donal Carey: Cost of rent is no excuse for nothing paying for rubbish collection.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:29 AM

    @Donal Carey: Waste collection in Dublin, is a fraction of what it costs in rural areas.

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    Mute Donal Carey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:04 PM

    @GerryCummins: My god it’s not me I wouldn’t live in that shit hole I would prefer to live in a shanty town in South Africa

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    Mute laurence o neill
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:18 AM

    Rubbish should be collected free liked other country’s..we pay property tax and there ber no dumping full stop

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    Mute Irish big fellow
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:04 AM

    Same in every town. Litter wardens are sitting on their hands and too lazy to try and prosecute. They know who the main culprits are. They should be looking for evidence from certain householders as to how they dispose of their rubbish by looking for receipts of tags purchased.

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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:03 AM

    Charge people a fair price for rubbish removal and this won’t happen.

    25
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    Mute casey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 12:33 PM

    If there are bags with stickers on them why aren’t the bin companies collecting them?

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    Mute Moorooka Mick
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:16 AM

    This is what happens when garbage collection is privatised!

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    Mute Jonathan Cooke
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    Jun 20th 2018, 12:31 PM

    The city council has outsourced the bin collection to private companies which are ineffective. The cost of bin collection should be included in the property tax and companies awarded whole postal zones for bin collection. The fly tipping will decrease as there will be a blanket service.

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    Mute Arron
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:51 PM

    Sure the throw the rubbish from the door way..

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