MIND OF MY OWN

The Woman's Own columnist has her say on exam stress and huge engagement rings

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TIME TO DITCH OUR PHONES?

We all seemed to be glued to our devices, but it can’t be good for us

Taking a gamble here, but I bet there is one thing right by your side as you're reading this excellent issue of Woman's Own. Nope, not a nice cuppa, or even your pet cat, dog or partner. It's more certain than that. It's your phone, isn't it?

Go on, admit it. If it's not on the table or arm of your chair, it's in your bag. Because in 2025, it doesn't matter whether you're nine or 90, a mobile phone is never far away.

Even my mum – 84 at the weekend, happy birthday, Mum! – never goes anywhere without hers. She may not always answer it but she's working on that bit.

I kid myself that mine is imperative, as it's how I get work. But I'm as guilty as anyone else for getting sidetracked by other stuff. The husband has been known to threaten to throw my phone in the sea and off cliffs if I dare use it while we're on holiday. Yet over the past year, I've noticed his is now stuck to his hand, as he scrolls random clips posted by total strangers.

Mobile phones are the most addictive drug ever invented. And while I hope my brain is robust enough to cope with some of the horrors that lurk on there, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been as a kid.

Our politicians have been talking about what to do with youngsters, mobiles and social media for as long as smartphones have been around. They're still talking. Probably via messages on their phones!