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Want a better relationship with your phone? Let us help

Welcome to day one, week one of our Live A Better Life series on having a better relationship with your phone.

#LIVE-A-BETTER-LIFE-banner-image-final (1)

HAVE YOU A smartphone?

Chances are, you have one – and if you do, you probably use it a lot.

Ireland is a tech-savvy country, and that has benefited us in many ways. Apps have simplified life, connected us to our friends and loved ones, enabled us to buy products quickly and easily, and put the whole world at our fingertips.

But sometimes, it can feel like your phone is using you.

And that’s where Live A Better Life comes in: Over four weeks, we’re going to help you look at how you use your smartphone, challenge yourself to new ways of using it (and not using it), tackle the main phone tech stressors, and cultivate a sense of positivity around using your phone.

Will you be transformed into a person who no longer needs a smartphone by the end of it? Don’t worry, that’s not the aim – and for most people, it’s certainly not practical.

Instead, it’s about putting you back in control, so you have a better sense of how you deal with your smartphone, and how to go about changing elements you’re unhappy with.

shutterstock_559414864 Shutterstock / Natee Meepian Shutterstock / Natee Meepian / Natee Meepian

How it works

Every weekday for the next four weeks, we’ll feature one article on how to Live A Better Life with your phone. There’ll be information, challenges, and even the odd quiz or two for you.

Sign up by email (see below) and each Friday you’ll get an email with the week’s content.

Day One

For the first day of the first week, we’re keeping things simple: All we’re asking you to do is take a quiz on your smartphone use.

Then, you just have to:

  • Take note of your result
  • See how you feel about it.

If you want, you can write your thoughts down, as a way of reflecting on the process.

But right now, we’re just getting a sense of what that smartphone-you relationship is like.

Take the quiz>

Factbox:

shutterstock_519627688 Shutterstock / Adul10 Shutterstock / Adul10 / Adul10

If you find you’re a heavy user of your phone, you’re not alone.

Recent stats show that over half of Irish smartphone users check their devices in the middle of the night.

Deloitte’s research found that the top three nocturnal smartphone activities include:

  • Checking the time
  • Texting
  • Using social networks

In addition, a study from the University of Derby found that smartphones are addictive - and the more you use it, the more addictive the behaviour can be. The average user in this study spent 3.6 hours a day using a device.

Take the quiz by clicking here>

Close
14 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Carey
    Favourite Gerard Carey
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:40 PM

    Lucky to be alive after getting a smack from a train. Very lucky.

    133
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Benny Dowling
    Favourite Benny Dowling
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:24 PM

    I hope he us not too seriously hurt

    98
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Awkward Seal
    Favourite Awkward Seal
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:40 PM

    In Japan the train company sues the family for damages if someone commits suicude by jumping under a train. It sounds like this guy was somewhere where he shouldn’t have been and as a result ruined the evening of thousands of people. It may be harsh but there should be consequences.

    60
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    Mute Paul
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:36 PM

    Fools own fault, trespassing

    46
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    Mute proctor
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:39 PM

    What was he doing trespassing on the line, very lucky he wasn’t killed!

    40
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    Mute Martin Gallagher
    Favourite Martin Gallagher
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:38 PM

    Are there not two train tracks on this line? Close the one the victim was on but switch the traffic to the other track to allow passengers to travel on, I’d think?

    24
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    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:41 PM

    Martain

    The traveling public are not allowed to see a dead/injured person after been hit by a train.

    63
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    Mute James Rowan
    Favourite James Rowan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:46 PM

    Id imagine it wouldn’t be too safe for the emergency workers having a train passing by so close to them either.

    125
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    Mute Martin Gallagher
    Favourite Martin Gallagher
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:18 PM

    By all means James but once the clear up operation has been done, why inconvenience or endanger everyone else from getting home or on to where they need to be?
    It might sound facile but a bloke here once drove his car onto a train line to commit suicide and nearly succeeded in killing others in the resulting crash. Worth thinking about here is the traumatic impact on the train driver in seeing someone dilerbrately putting themselves in such harms way without any chance of avoidance?

    19
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    Mute Grot Master
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    Feb 1st 2016, 8:47 PM

    Yeah, James, imagine if some commuter chose that moment to flush. Brown mist, not nice.

    6
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    Mute dowthebow
    Favourite dowthebow
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    Feb 1st 2016, 10:56 PM

    Even if they did that It’s still gonna slow down the line Martin

    5
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    Mute The Pope
    Favourite The Pope
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:02 PM

    Lost his nerve at the last second? Hope he gets help if that’s the case.

    22
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    Mute Marg murphy
    Favourite Marg murphy
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 12:42 AM

    Poor boy. I hope he gets the help he needs. Before people start moaning about the inconvenience, think how he must have been feeling. To think throwing yourself under a train can be the answer it would have to be a very black day indeed.

    21
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    Mute Kieron Duffin
    Favourite Kieron Duffin
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:58 PM

    Sounds strange. Got hit but didn’t suffer any life threatening injuries. Surely could have been dealt with faster possibly ?

    14
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    Mute Tom the Bomb
    Favourite Tom the Bomb
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:33 PM

    Presumably there still has to be a health & safety investigation for any workplace accident involving a member of the public, plus possibly a Gárda investigation. Facts have to be ascertained with a view to seeing if similar incidents could be prevented.

    17
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    Mute shaz
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 1:14 AM

    God help this young lad. To feel there is no way out but this is horrendous. I hope he gets the help he needs. Take care young man and remember
    H -hold
    O – on
    P – pain
    E – eases

    HOPE xxxxxxx

    12
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    Mute John Nolan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 10:03 PM

    Was on a train to Heuston this afternoon. We got delayed in Athy for about an hour due to the incident. It could have been worse I guess.

    12
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    Mute Barry Humphreys
    Favourite Barry Humphreys
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:31 PM

    Exactly

    10
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    Mute Sandra Valtere
    Favourite Sandra Valtere
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 8:48 AM

    All I will say is I’m glad he survived , it must be first ever incident where someone actually survives after that. I was stuck in delays but it wasn’t too bad especially knowing the reason why. I usually feel very bad for train drivers, if that boy would of died how would you live with yourself knowing you killed him, but all good hes alive !

    3
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