Online or ‘Offline’?

‘Offline’ is a practical must-read for those who are ‘addicted’ to using smartphones and social networking sites.
“We initially decided to write this book because we felt suffocated by the constant ringing of the phone calling our attention and pulling us away from what was happening in the real world.” Authors Imran Rashid and Soren Kenner explain so in their book.

Social networking sites have only appeared in recent years: Facebook was founded in 2004, Youtube – 2005, Twitter – 2006 and Instagram – 2010. But its level of “manipulating” users is amazing. Before that parameter, Offline exposes digital technology overload and its consequences, and tells readers to free their minds and keep a safe distance from smartphones and social media. Social networks are “manipulating” people As of 2019, there are more than 5 billion people in the world with smartphones and 1.5 billion people with tablets. Soon, it is expected that about 75% of the total global population will be using this advanced device. Among the social networking sites today, Facebook holds the title of the most popular social media platform. In Vietnam, more than 70% of the population has a Facebook account. However, a surprising information is that, in the midst of a forest of “addicts” to Facebook, even its father – Mark Zuckerberg – does not spend much time surfing the product he created. Instead, he lives a happy life with activities of reading, traveling, playing sports… In the midst of people immersed in online, Mark Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook) still leisurely travels, plays sports and reads books. Photo: Bing Bong Bot. Every day we “tribute” online time to Mark, instead of spending it with our loved ones or other healthy jobs, and this online activity continuously turns us into subjects, responsible for answering the king of the world. I asked “What are you thinking?”. Book Offline spent half of its pages sparking revelations about brain hacks that Facebook, Apple, Tiktok, or Instagram used to entice users. The more glued to the screen, the more the founders of the technology applications will have more pocket money. Online how to not cause harm? It is undeniable that electronic devices also partly change individuals and the whole society in a good way when connecting human exchanges and interactions quickly. The impact is good or bad depending on how we spend our time and minds online on social networks. Soren Kenner (one of the two authors of the book) shared, in this high-tech world, he even has to text through Messenger to invite his children to dinner because he knows otherwise they will not come down. Offline books help free your mind from smartphones and social networks. Photo: TT Next, the two writers posed the question: Do you ever feel chills in a cafe when friendly jokes are replaced by sombre silence, when the whole cafe flickers with bright lights? light emitted from dozens of large and small electronic screens? Smartphones are slowly becoming the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you see before you go to bed. Social networks also create a virtual feeling for people, making us sometimes feel as if our pockets are vibrating. But this is just one of the many consequences of being online too much. This level of damage can be improved if you know how to control the frequency of “tribute” time to social networks and high-tech applications. With practical, straight-to-the-point writing, Imran Rashid and Soren Kenner offer a range of methods for freeing the mind from smartphones through setting the modifier of creation: Identify the sizing factor. activities, coping planning, psychological fundamentals, learning to focus… Offline Not only researching tricks to attract and manipulate users’ brains, but also drop in on readers how to protect themselves from digital pollution to use healthy electronic devices and more connected to the real world.