Have you ever stopped to think, "what is the point of social media?"

I am certain that at some point we have all had this meandering thought run through our heads. It's inevitable.

​Social networks have taken over the way that people converse and interact with each other every day, to the point where it seems incredulous to have a one-on-conversation in person.

We always seem to be on our phones or some piece of technology instead of enjoying life, our surroundings or even, heaven forbid, each other.

In 2013 IDC Research conducted a study that showed that 80% of smartphone users aged between 18 and 44 check their smartphones as soon as they wake-up. That's astounding.

"80% of smartphone users aged between 18 and 44 check their smartphones as soon as they wake-up."

So, let me get this straight, the first thing we do when we wake up in the morning is check our phones instead of say going to the toilet or brushing our teeth. Our first primary instinct is to check our phones - that's worrying.

IDC's report also discovered that users spend 87% more time on their smartphones from Friday to Sunday compared to Monday to Thursday.

Since when has our weekend freedom become overruled by technology?

What happened to going to the park, reading a book, writing a letter, cooking, conversing - really anything that doesn't involve technology?

I myself am a firm believer in the more traditional leisure persuits, such as; writing, reading, socialising (in person) than by sitting in silence whilst checking for my latest 'Like' or 'Retweet' - honestly, there is more to life.

Personally, I love the feel of sending and receiving letters. Putting the time into them to make sure I am conveying everything I need to say. It's quit cathartic. 

​I know there is a place in this world for technology and that it has become a natural part of our evolution - I get it. However, I do believe there is more to life - and I am a firm advocate for "everything in moderation."

For instance, if a piece of technology is able to allow a deaf person to hear or a blind person to see, so that they can communicate and exist in social settings, and enjoy life - then that's fantastic.

All I am trying to point out here is - do not let it take over your life. Let it be only a small part of it.

Standing on a bustling platform at 7:30 in the morning - it’s cold and windy. The train pulls in and I make my way to the opening doors.

Once stepping inside there is a sigh beside me. I look across as I lower myself into my seat by the window and sitting on the opposite side of the carriage to me is a gentleman with the meanest scowl imaginable.

How have I upset this poor fellow? I do not understand.

Was he not impressed with my choice of outfit? Or is the cause of his discontent my selection of beverage smouldering in my flask?

I think that it is neither of these.

He seemed particularly ‘cheesed off’ that I had managed to get on the train before he had. Well, sorry buddy, but – you snooze, you lose.

I sit there sipping my coffee and the train starts to pull out of the station.

As I sat there, I start thinking how commuting has become extremely game like, very strategic and combative in nature, and similar to a game of chess. It is all about calculating your move and predicting your opponents’ strategy.

Even I am a different person when I am travelling.

The realisation of this is shocking. There is no camaraderie – no sense of togetherness. Instead it is an “all for one & one for one” attitude that tends to grip people as they commute.

“Instead it is an “all for one & one for one” attitude that
tends to grip people as they commute.”

Why do people not talk to each other on their journey? Why do they not try to interact and build friendships during this time? If we in a pub on a night out it would be a different story. There would be chatting and laughter and people would make an effort to get to know new each other.

But on the commute – forget about it.

Instead the only noises around are the rhythmic thundering of the train travelling over the tracks, where a muffled music plays through a passengers headphones, accentuated by the sound of a muted-cough in the distance.

This is normality – this is 'commuterland'.

Any change to this equilibrium and chaos ensues.

A phone ringing, a crying child in a push chair – these are not part of the routine. They are foreign and are met with glaring eyes, shakes of heads and, where needs must, a soft but profound ‘tut’ or ‘sigh’.

I honestly cannot see a resolution to this issue, which is disheartening.

Wouldn’t it be nice to get on a peice of transport knowing that the people that you encounter will be people who would love to engage and interact with you?

I can imagine myself sitting on a train on my way into the office when a gentleman opposite me asks, “Hi, how are you today?”

I would like to think that I would respond in the usual conversational way, in “Hi, I am well. Thank you for asking. How are you?”.

But in reality, I know that this will never happen. In fact what past experiences has showed me is that instead it is more likely that I would put my headphones in, blocking out most of the world, while casually thinking - “Who is this guy? Weirdo.”

When actually all he is trying to do is to be sociable.

So, the next time I am on a train and someone tries to strike up a conversation I am going to make a point of joining in.

I sat on the bus this morning awestruck at what I was reading. A shaking of the head and with my mouth wide open, I sat whilst the rest of the world outside whizzed passed me.

Like most commuters I casually picked up my free copy of Stylist magazine as I made my way into work, only to find myself bemused and frowning only a few short moments later.

Column articles are usually my favorites, as they can be extremely topical and they sometimes include subject matter that can be quite profound and thought provoking.

However, this morning I would say I was more bemused than mentally challenged. Lucy Mangan’s Outspoken column this week was more baffling than any other column I have read in the past.

Apparently, from what I gathered from her writing, people should not “do what [they] love” for a living, as they tend to use it as “a manner that suggests it is a sensible goal, an eminently realistic ambition.”

What is wrong with setting yourself goals and having ambitions. Within today’s modern society it is extremely rare to find a job and to stay in it for life. The more contemporary way of thinking is to find an industry and career that you love and enjoy and work your way up the professional ladder.

My Dad always said to me when I was little, “you can be whatever you want to be and if you put your mind to it then you can achieve anything.”

“You can be whatever you want to be and if you put your mind to it then you can achieve anything.”

That is true, to a certain extent; you can do what you want to do, but you must bare in mind that with time comes realism. Being able to do what you love means that there are certain stepping stones that need to be taken in order to get yourself there.

The more goals you set yourself the higher you will climb up the ladder. That’s always been my way of thinking.

I have been dubbed by friends and family as a person who ‘sees what she wants and then goes and gets it’. For me, there is no other way.

Lucy also describes the way that society sees people who do achieve their goals and ambitions, as having an “X-Factor” stylized celebrity status, and those that do not attain their goals are deemed as “Lazy”, “Thick” and that they don’t “really want it as much as they should”.

But hold the phone for a second, surely not every persons’ dream is to be a celebrity or a top-end executive. People can love any type of work, after all we are all individuals. So, if doing what we love means that we need to be in high-end jobs and careers then statistically this will never come to fruition. Consequently, in a way I can understand Lucy’s hypothesis that this could “set a lot of people up for unhappiness when they ‘fail’.”

Disappointment only serves to inspire and educate. As the motto goes “you don’t know unless you try”, or how about, “try, try and try again.” What Lucy fails to recognize is that people are in control of their own destiny and that perseverance is our biggest ally.

For me, doing what I love means that I am happy and content in the work that I do – and a by-product of this is pride. I take enormous amount of pleasure in doing the work that I do and when I have completed a project I get an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, thus productivity and quality of the work I do is greatly increased.

Lucy ended her article by saying “follow the money to see whose interests are really being served” – really?

This is best summed up by former US President Ronald Reagan when he said, “money can’t buy happiness.” After all it is not all about the money, job satisfaction is crucial in life fulfillment.

Just remember that as you make your way into work, and consider – do you really love what you do?”