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The advent of apps and the Internet have revolutionised our ability to connect instantaneously. From social media to video calls to messaging apps, our capacity for real-time communication is unprecedented. However, it seems that the more hyperconnected we are online, the further apart we're growing in real life. Experts' Consensus Doctors, scientists, and specialists have all reached the same conclusion: Staring at our devices causes us to drift further apart – a trend I've observed for the past 15 years (I acquired my first smartphone in 2010). Make meaningful connections first and maintain them, then use social media to stay in touch. Not the other way around. (Image: dole777, Unsplash) During a lunch with my teammates that year, one of my colleagues took a photo of me and two colleagues and posted it on his Facebook account with the caption, "iPhone disease." The image depicted three friends fixated on their phones, oblivious to one another. Walk into any restaurant today, and if a table is silent, it's likely that everyone is on their devices. Putting them away facilitates bonding and meaningful conversations, as opposed to everyone remaining in their own bubble. We all need alone time, but being alone all the time is unhealthy. (Image: George Eiermann, Unsplash) The Solitary Existence The ability to remain in our own world is convenient. With earphones, ear buds, or headphones on, you have private time anytime or all the time. It's a boon when commuting, as you don't have to hear anyone else's conversation or music. However, the ability to cocoon ourselves pushes us apart. And when text messaging or Zoom meetings are preferable to face-to-face interactions, we're no longer able to socialise effectively. It goes against our nature as social beings. While it is true that sending a text or email can be quicker and more efficient than talking to someone directly, the price we pay is missed opportunities for personal connections. In the office, getting up to talk to a colleague from another department means: Getting your point across quickly and clearly, especially for complicated matters Less time spent sitting down, which is unhealthy A chance for direct communication. Unlike words on a screen, seeing someone's facial expressions and body language reduces the risk of misunderstandings Learning more about the other person's job, which can help us empathise with each other The chance to form meaningful friendships Spending too much time in the digital realm makes us wary of real-life interactions. (Image: Michelle Tresemer, Unsplash) A Private World Our reliance on devices and (over)consumption of online media is making us more guarded. The more time we spend in our own bubbles, the more inward-looking we become. Why bother speaking to other people when everything I want can be found online? Algorithms ensure that your social media accounts become echo chambers, feeding you an endless stream of content that you love. These algorithms have wired us to seek pleasure online. If you speak to others in real life, you risk discovering something about them you don't like. Inevitably, we begin to think that talking to others is a waste of time. It's far better to retreat into our digital realms, where everything is just as we like it. A 10-minute kopi session is 10,000 times better than a 10-minute online chat. (Image: Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash) Changing Habits The good news is that many have realised what's been happening and are trying to change. We hear of parents trying to set an example by reducing their device usage, especially at mealtimes. I have friends who, apart from spending less time on social media, periodically do a 'digital detox' by staying offline for an entire weekend. They all say the same thing afterwards: The world didn't end just because they didn't see what their friends were up to. I once had a friendly debate with a colleague who said it was more prudent to message key industry figures instead of meeting them in person. While he understood the value of in-person meetings, he suggested forgoing these to benefit my sanity by giving myself more time to work. Facial expressions and body language matter as much – if not even more – than the actual words typed or spoken. (Image: Resume Genius, Unsplash) Technically, he is right. However, it's not how I relate to key figures who hail from the same 'older batch.' I was a newbie when these folks were also new to the trade. And before the digital realm overtook our lives, we got to know each other the 'analogue' way. Rather than quick hellos and goodbyes, we drank coffee and had lunch. Relationships grew warmer, and working together became smoother over time. We exchanged intel and gossip and helped each other out when we could. Thanks to these personal and professional relationships, any issues that arise are relatively minor and are easily settled with a text message or a two-minute phone call. It's easy when you know each other and are comfortable getting straight to the point. It's harder to accomplish the same thing with someone you barely speak to in real life. So, put that device back in your pocket and look at the person or people you're with. Go and 'disturb' your colleagues at the end of the day. Lower your guard and be more accepting. Because while your online presence counts, it'll never be as important as your physical presence, especially to people who matter. - Jeremy

Here’s a quick fun fact for those who’ve sworn themselves entirely off TikTok, out of the fear of having to run yet another social media account: You don’t actually need to log in to the app to scroll it. Quite incredibly (but also quite scarily), the platform’s algorithm is still able to curate an incredible array of videos that it thinks will make you want to keep scrolling. And for this existential-crisis-ridden 28-year old, it’s decided to feed videos more along the 'self-help’ route recently: Lessons about unlearning people-pleasing, knowing how to draw healthier boundaries in your relationships or with work, and the like. Informally recorded videos (think an iPhone front camera set up with no external microphone and no subtitles) are valuable in their own way provided the message is strong. But what’s even cooler to me are those that have clearly had each shot mapped out, and then colour-graded to achieve the creator’s desired aesthetic, with a tight script to tie everything all in. One such creator that has recently caught my attention is also a fellow young adult navigating life: Mylene Mae, who goes by @mylenesmind on both TikTok and Instagram. I only know her tangentially from the videos that appear on my feed but her visual stories (it only feels fair that I call them that) have gone viral - and inspired many others to do the same - on the platform recently. This is thanks especially to a series called, “The 24 lessons I learned in 2024”. The particular one that has stuck with me over the past week goes into what can loosely be described as the art of doing nothing. The key lesson: Intentional inaction - rather than desperately hunting down the answers - can actually be more beneficial sometimes when you're seeking to understand yourself better. To be clear, it’s not a concept that is new in itself (this article has a good rundown, directed more towards the idea of burnout culture), nor new to me. But certain life lessons hit harder in certain seasons - and also when they take certain specific forms. Presented in this conversational, aesthetically pleasing style, the message has stuck with me. My personal response? I've decided to occasionally cut music out of the 'filler' spaces in my life for now. My Spotify playlists (and earbuds) are my go-to lines of defence against everything - boredom, fatigue, fear and even frustration. To pass time, but to also find joy and solace. But when I’m taking walks at the open air carpark downstairs after staring at the screen for far too long (and accepting that my brain will conjure nothing else for now), when I'm packed with others on the NEL at 7:15pm on the way home, and even when in the shower, I just keep still and… do nothing. It's been oddly comforting so far - hearing all the thoughts that I wanted to avoid suddenly come out of the woodwork… and then realising that my confrontation of them is actually what I needed to feel better over the longer run. Lessons in life are perhaps learned with fervour at first, then forgotten inevitably with new pressures coming in, then picked up again when the right time calls for them more urgently. And to be clear, the irony isn't lost on me - that this lesson I'm trying to re-integrate into my life has come from social media: The very thing that sees boredom as a threat. Nonetheless, I think having the capacity to consider both sides is probably most sensible too: Knowing that social media has the ability to empower, as much as it being aware that it presents the danger of draining an individual. With @mylenesmind, I’ve been reminded of the former again. - Matt

Have you ever found yourself obsessing over a fad or an object that you grow tired of after a few months, or even just after a few weeks? You feel as if you're entering one passing phase after another. When one ends, you feel tired and empty at the same time, yet you can't help but seek the next thing to occupy your mind. Is this a product of our connection/addiction to social media, in our endless bid to find the next entertaining or educational reel? Is it all just an attempt to find the next dopamine hit we constantly crave? (Disclaimer: I am not a psychiatrist.) About three years ago, a colleague of mine told me about how he, along with a few other guys in the office, went through this phase where they all got into the same hobbies at the same time. One such hobby was folding bicycles. Once one of them tried it, the rest of the group decided they should also buy foldies, so they could go on group rides after work. It's all about team bonding, after all. Photo: Dimon Blr, Unsplash However, if you don't make this part of your lifestyle, the novelty soon wears off. By this point, one of them had purchased more than two foldies, which are currently residing in his bomb shelter. Dissatisfied with the weight and performance of the folding bikes, my colleagues then acquired road bikes so they could clock faster average speeds. Cycling, however, takes up time. Time to gear up, time to ride, and time to put the bicycles on racks so you can ride in new places. So, another hobby was needed. Enter in-line skating. Why bother transporting bicycles when you can literally strap wheels onto your feet? Easier, right? Right. Photo: Naomi Tamar, Unsplash Next, someone suggested that apart from outdoor activities, they should also have a relaxing activity they can do at home. Hence, the obsession with aquariums. Water, filters, PH testing, air pumps, tank decorations, fish and fish food... they got into it all. Maintaining an aquarium is complicated (duh) and unless you learn how to maintain this ecosystem, the inevitable will happen. The poor fish slowly died out as the passion for the hobby fizzled. Mea culpa I'm just as guilty of getting into things and tiring of them quickly. When I bought my first full-frame DSLR, I was obsessed with a 50mm f1.4 lens, thinking it was all the kit I needed. It was – for a while. But I have my limitations, and soon found myself wanting a longer focal length for better 'compression'. Also, it's not always possible to get close to a speaker at an event. Or so I told myself. The 50mm lens fell out of favour once my 24-70mm lens arrived. Sure, call me lazy for preferring the 'softer' zoom in place of a 'crisper' prime. My 50mm entered a state of semi-retirement. The writer's passion for photography still continues to this day. Photo: Chuttersnap, Unsplash Next, I became obsessed with Nikon's 135mm f2.0. Purpose-built for portraits, creamy bokeh is its calling card. I had to have one. After fawning over it (while saving the moolah needed), I took the plunge. To justify its cost, I also used it to shoot cars. It didn't matter if my teammates said it was inconvenient because of how far away I'd have to walk to get a car in frame. I loved using this solidly built lens and its metal body. But reality hit home. It was not very practical unless I'm shooting portraits, which is... once in a blue moon. The 24-70mm lens was still the most used because of its convenience, so like the 50mm, my dream 135mm lens sits idly at home. Since then, I have learnt to obsess 'sensibly', which means looking intently, but not buying. This saves money, but not necessarily time. For instance, I was once obsessed with acquiring a scooter, for no other reason except I hadn't really tried one. "Bro you should get one! Just twist and go, it's super-easy to ride in traffic! You won't regret it!" "Buy, buy, buy!" Hearing stuff like this made me want one even more. So, to the irritation of my better half, I spent weeks trawling online ads, often even while she was trying to tell me something important. I considered everything from a Honda PCX150 to a Suzuki Burgman to a Sym GTS. My scooter phase ended when the missus told me that my scooter would only sit in the carpark gathering dust. Since I only get to ride my bike twice a week, getting second two-wheeler would have been foolhardy indeed. The writer is unlikely to own a scooter, as he still enjoys the engagement a motorcycle requires. Photo: Pedro Pereira, Unsplash Another thing I stopped myself from buying is a gaming laptop. My last one is over 10 years old and no longer works. With a library of games on Steam and my work laptop not having the hardware to run them, a $4,000 gaming machine must be the solution. Fortunately, I had the sense to pause before spending so much money. After spending the entire day at work (in front of a computer), I realised the last thing I wanted to do on weeknights was sit in front of another computer. That means I'd only use a gaming laptop on weekends, presuming there were no plans to meet with friends. It also dawned on me that a gaming laptop would contribute to a sedentary lifestyle. So, I should be spending money on a gym membership instead. And a nicer bicycle that could lead to improved fitness. Right? Right? Oh crap, it's happening again. – Jeremy

To protect the consumer or business owner (and government coffer)? I hope Singapore and other countries will no follow suit. I cannot imagine how much more we need to pay for the same items without competition online (e-commerce and sales via social media). As consumer, we have to exercise due diligences when making purchase online, instead of relying on our givernment to protect us from being scammed. Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-ban-sale-goods-tiktok-shop-social-media-regulation-commerce-3802491 SINGAPORE: For the past two months, factory worker Subairi has come to rely on TikTok Shop to purchase his daily necessities. From baby formula to cooking oil, he stocks up on these items each payday. But with the announcement that the Indonesian government has banned the direct sales of goods on social media platforms, Mr Subairi - who like many Indonesians go by one name - is worried over the loss of a cheaper shopping alternative. “If TikTok Shop is banned, I will find it difficult to find items that are as cheap as (those sold there),” the 38-year-old from Karawang, West Java told CNA. “On other e-commerce platforms, the service fee is almost 10,000 rupiah (US$0.64) but on TikTok Shop it is totally free, with no conditions.” Mr Subairi added that the flash sales and payday promotions - normally offered at the end of the month when workers receive their salaries - on TikTok Shop make the prices much cheaper. He has been comparing prices of goods across various e-commerce platforms, and found those sold on TikTok Shop to be the cheapest. “Yesterday, I bought baby formula. Elsewhere, the cheapest price was 320,000 rupiah but on TikTok, with various discounts, I could get (the formula at) around 300,000 rupiah,” said the father of two. Meanwhile, TikTok Shop buyer Nadya Aulia Arma told CNA that while she disagrees with the new regulation, she will accept the development and switch to using other e-commerce platforms. “I honestly don't agree, because I will lose a place to buy things at low prices. But if it's for the good of the Indonesian people, that's okay. I'll go back to shopping on Shopee,” she said. On Monday (Sep 25), the Indonesian government announced that it will no longer allow social media platforms to double as e-commerce sites, in order to prevent the misuse of data. "(Social media) can only (be used to) facilitate the promotion of goods or services (but) direct transactions … (and) direct payments are no longer allowed; (social media) can only be used for promotion," said Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan after a closed meeting on electronic commerce issues. Under the Revised Ministry of Trade Regulation, a minimum import transaction of US$100 will also be imposed on goods purchased from abroad. While the ban has caught the disappointment of buyers, some sellers at physical stores in Indonesia have celebrated the move. Textile seller Iyal Suryadi told CNA that the sale of goods online has reduced his income. “In the local market where we sell our goods, sometimes we only sell one or two pieces of cloth in a week … If it continues like this, don’t even think about growing (the business); just being able to survive is good,” he said. He added that the prices of items sold on TikTok Shop “do not make sense”. “They sell goods at factory prices directly to consumers, not to distributors or resellers. It is true that we have entered the free market, but let's not go too far. “The government must act if it does not want the country's economy to be destroyed. The reason is that the money in this country revolves around the small people like us, not the rich,” said Mr Suryadi, who owns a shop at Pasar Cipeundeuy located in Subang, West Java. Similarly, Mr Raden, a seller at Tanah Abang market in Jakarta, agreed that TikTok Shop has hurt his sales due to the cheap prices offered on the social media platform. However, he told CNA that he disagrees with the new ban and suggested that the sale of items through social media be restricted instead. “(This is) because there are merchants here who also sell through TikTok. They are forced to sell on TikTok because the physical market is starting to be abandoned by buyers,” said Mr Raden, who goes by one name. “In my opinion, TikTok shops should not be banned but restricted. (Instead), foreign products should be stopped and domestic products should be sold.” In response to the ban, TikTok Indonesia said that it will abide by the laws and regulations of the country. "However, we also hope that the government will consider the effect (of the ban) toward the livelihood of six million local sellers and around seven million creator affiliates that use TikTok Shop," a TikTok Indonesia spokesperson was quoted as saying by Tempo on Tuesday. The platform, owned by China's ByteDance, reportedly said that it has received complaints from local sellers and has asked for certainty from the authorities regarding the newly issued regulation. According to Tempo, TikTok said that social commerce emerged as a solution to the problems faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), adding that it believes that TikTok Shop was established to support local sellers to collaborate with local creators in order to boost traffic for their online shops. TikTok has been hit with allegations that its TikTok Shop service is implementing predatory pricing by selling imported goods at significantly lower prices, thus leading to major profit losses for MSMEs who struggle to compete with such prices. Mr Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at public policy advisory firm Global Counsel, told CNA that Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to implement regulations prohibiting social media companies from simultaneously operating as e-commerce platforms. “TikTok is expected to be the most affected, as TikTok Shop currently allows Indonesian buyers to make direct purchases within the app, whereas platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp lack built-in transaction features,” he said. However, he noted that small vendors who have benefited from TikTok Shop can still use any social media platforms to advertise their products, even though transactions will now need to be arranged separately between buyers and sellers. “Engaging in transactions outside of the apps may be considered risky, and this will place established e-commerce platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, and Tokopedia as more trusted options for online purchases,” said Mr Dinarto. Meanwhile, speaking to CNA, Jakarta-based economist Bhima Yudhistira from the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) said that banning social commerce is just a partial step to help SMEs. “The government also needs to monitor illegal imports through airplane passengers - such as through a service known as Jastip - and also support SMEs by lowering lending rates, increasing domestic purchasing power, and government procurement absorption of SME products,” said Mr Yudhistira. Jastip allows buyers to obtain items available overseas by contracting the services of travellers who can buy and deliver the goods in their travels.

Do u think she has gone too far by CSI and post pics about people who made nasty comments about her including the people's family pics.. Wife .. Kids .. Workplace etc Some of her comments quite funny tho. By the way she looks completely diff now

https://www.lowyat.net/2022/262662/trump-is-launching-his-truth-social-app-in-february/ Former US President Donald Trump’s new social media network, Truth Social, will be launching on Presidents’ Day on 21 February, according to an App Store listing. The network was announced last year and aims to be an alternative to mainstream social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, with the latter permanently banning Trump’s account after the capitol riot in Washington. From the screenshots on the App Store listing, the app seems to share many similarities with Twitter. Users can follow accounts, chat with others, and the posts themselves feature a reply, retweet, like, and share button. East post is called a Truth and its retweet equivalent is called a Re-Truth. Truth Social is run by Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which plans to go public via an SPAC merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC) at a valuation of US$875 million (~RM3.68 billion). The company’s overview claims that the social network will use a “big tent” approach to build a “non-cancellable” global community. The social media app is only the first of three stages for TMTG. The company also plans on launching an on-demand streaming service called TMTG+, which will include entertainment, news, and podcasts. It is also working on a “long-term opportunity TMTG tech stack”, which aims at competing with Amazon’s AWS, Google’s Cloud, Microsoft’s Azure, and payment processor Stripe. Truth Social is built using Mastodon’s source code, which is an open-source social platform. Mastodon called out the site for not providing its source code as per the software license requirements, which Truth Social has since made its source code public not long after the complaint. The Trump app is also partnering with Rumble to provide video and streaming technology. The app is available for pre-order now on the App Store, but it doesn’t seem to be available in Malaysia. There is no word on whether it will be coming to Android, nor is there a launch date for its website, which currently only has a form for a waiting list.

Social media is a double-edged sword. Despite the benefits and connectivity it brings, social media can cause harm to you as well. Watch this video to find out how: IMG_7241.MP4 What Happened? All it took was for a Volkswagen driver to upload this 8-second video to screw himself over. The Volkswagen driver was filmed by his passenger speeding down an unnamed expressway in Singapore at above 200km/h before hitting a top speed of 219km/h. "This is my type of therapeutic" and "will prefer to be passenger tho" were used as in-text captions of the video. Considering the maximum speed limit is 90km/h on an expressway, the Volkswagen driver would have exceeded the speed limit by 129km/h. Even though it seemed like he wasn't caught for excessive speeding initially, the 8-second video posted on the driver's social media account will probably get him into trouble with the traffic police. For exceeding the speed limit of above 60km/h, the offender will be awarded 24 demerit points. If he is a new or probationary driver (highly unlikely that he is), his driving licence will be revoked. However, if he is a non-probationary driver with no prior suspension records, his driving licence will be liable for suspension for up to 12 weeks. Or suppose he is a non-probationary driver that was previously suspended before. In that case, his driving licence will be liable for suspension for up to 36 months, depending on how many times he was previously suspended. Was he driving a Volkswagen? Yes, the car in the video is certainly a Volkswagen. The main giveaway was the layout and appearance of the car's dashboard. And yes, that includes the iconic Volkswagen's check engine light, which ascertains that the said car is a Volkswagen. A sharp-eyed netizen went a step further to identify the model of the Volkswagen - the Scirocco R, by simply looking at the car's rear-view mirror. NGL, that's pretty impressive. Netizens' Comments Impressive CSI skills! Absolutely agree. Volkswagen cars starter pack🤭 ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news, and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

As Singapore's only car forum, tot someone would have posted this yesterday. Since it didn't, here it is. 😀

Dangerous games that young children may be playing, including hurting others or themselves. A few years back they had the blue whale game. https://www.businessinsider.sg/what-is-momo-viral-challenge-2019-2/amp

In a world where browsing social media, getting info on the net first hand is king, and binging videos on your rest days are a must, well... Youtube is down if that's even considered breaking news. It's as SERIOUS as the MRT breaking down. Brings your life almost to a halt (for some/many/most). If you're not seeing videos on the MCF blog, don't panic. It's not us. It's Youtube. So to summarize.. Youtube is down. Don't panic. Some reports are of blank screen, some showing internal errors. https://heavy.com/tech/2018/10/youtube-down/

Hi All - Would like to share this article Synopsis - A Sikh in New Zealand is wrongfully accused (with photo) on social media of sexual assault. It seems from the page admin that it was a "genuine mistake" - but that didn't stop the usual suspects of coming out with racist comments, threats of violence and other nasty things. You can take from it what you will - labellng New Zealand as a racist, bigoted cesspool if you need to. But more importantly - it highlights to me the dangers inherent in using social media to try and get "justice" - the real danger that sites like Stomp pose to the innocent, and exactly why "community policing and punishment" is so very very dangerous. And for those of you that think "it can't / won't happen here" because we are "better" or the law is "stronger" - please stop deluding yourselves and open your eyes just a little to what's going on around you.

Hi all, Just came across a situation in a What'sApp group. Actually there is this What'sApp group in my What'sApp of the group of friends in secondary school which we have been in contact since after leaving secondary school. There is also a friend we have been together since tertiary school but not from the same secondary school. We created this What'sApp group since the day What'sApp can allow group chats and we have been talking cock and many personal things since then for years. Suddenly yesterday the group admin suddenly added one of the ex-secondary school mate that most of us are not even classmates with or known of and do not even know or talk to in the secondary school times. One of my friends even told me personally that he do not know who is this person even we all are from the same secondary school. He say with the presence of this newly added stranger, it is better not to talk about personal things among those in the group chat for years, since most of us do not know him and have not realy get contact with him since after secondary school. This probably makes sense. Should we just remove this person from the group chat and create a new group chat with this new person? Or should we create a new group chat with our own circle of people and rename the existing one and let it run by another group chat itself?

Warning to parents. Know what your children do and friends online. The last girl really got into the van of a total stranger.

How true the message is! Time to re-educate.

moderators note: you just did and publicise here too moderated and member warned!

After General Motors (GM) decided to terminate its $10 million Facebook advertisement budget, rival Ford Motor quickly point out that the company is sticking by its commitment to the world's largest social network. Global head of social media for Ford, Scott Monty, tweeted that Ford believes Facebook advertisements are effective as part of a general strategy, but not as a "straight media buy". His comments seem to imply that GM does not know how to harness the effectiveness of social media fully. Ford has more than 1.5 million