Women spend nearly 50 pc more time than men on digital platforms: Report (2026-06-17T11:01:00+05:30)

(AI Image/IANS) ew Delhi, (IANS) Women users are the strongest drivers of digital engagement in urban India, spending more time than men across categories such as entertainment, messaging and e-commerce or quick commerce, a report said on Monday. The joint report from consumer behaviour analytics platform VTION and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) found that women spent more time than men across most categories, with the sharpest differences visible in commerce platforms. It highlighted that women spend an average of 82.4 minutes per day on entertainment-related content. Women aged between 25 and 34 peaked in this category with 86.3 minutes of consumption per day. In the e-commerce or quick commerce category, the 25-34 urban female cohort in megacities averaged 35.2 minutes per day compared to 24.8 minutes for urban male users, reflecting a 42 per cent higher engagement level. AI apps are witnessing rapid adoption as a new daily digital habit in urban India, with the category recording over 100 per cent growth during April 2025-March 2026 and urban users spent an average of 11.3 minutes per day on AI applications. AI application usage is currently concentrated among 18–34-year-olds and higher-income urban households. Conversational AI is increasingly influencing how users discover brands and products online, with consumers turning to AI tools before opening traditional search or e-commerce platforms, the report noted. Young, mass-market urban India of users aged 18–24 drives social media, averaging 120 minutes per day of usage compared to the category of overall 97.9 minutes per day. Urban consumers aged above 35 anchored the entertainment category, consuming content for 77-78 minutes per day. Payment app engagement patterns remain largely consistent across income groups, with urban users across higher, middle and lower-income urban household categories.The report analysed data from over 1 lakh consented smartphones representing over 407 million urban Indians. Women spend nearly 50 pc more time than men on digital platforms: Report | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com >

What is a ‘digital detox’ and will it make me healthier? (2026-05-28T12:51:00+05:30)

Joanne Orlando, Western Sydney University Are you surrounded by screens? Today, we rely on technology to do everything from sending emails to ordering food. But being constantly connected can leave us physically and mentally exhausted. That’s why some people are doing “digital detoxes”, the practice of staying away from devices and social media for a set period of time. The concept is gaining traction online, with supporters spruiking the health benefits of the “analogue lifestyle”. Some are even paying big bucks to go on “digital retreats”, with the aim of becoming healthier and happier. But do digital detoxes actually work, or are they just another wellness trend? What is a ‘digital detox’? The term “digital detox” stems from detoxification, the process of safely getting a person off an addictive substance such as alcohol or drugs. This is usually done with support from a health-care professional. So the idea of a digital detox is to step away from technology, to instead experience life with fewer distractions and foster relationships offline. The trouble with tech On average, young people in Australia look at screens for nine hours a day. Research suggests adults aren’t much better, with Australians aged between 45 and 64 spending up to six hours each day on screens. As a result, more people are experiencing information overload, the idea of being physically and emotionally overwhelmed by an immense amount of data. A related concept is social media fatigue, a consequence of being constantly connected through online platforms. But there are signs people are resisting the pull of technology. Some younger people are swapping screens for hands-on hobbies such as knitting, and joining chess clubs and other offline social activities. They are also driving trends such as “raw-dogging boredom”, the practice of sitting through long haul flights without headphones. And friction-maxxing, the idea you can become a better, more resilient person by doing tasks that involve some level of difficulty, is also gaining traction online. So in a sense, digital detoxes are just the latest online trend. Do ‘digital detoxes’ work? Current research suggests digital detoxes may have some benefits. But the evidence is far from conclusive. One 2025 meta-analysis examined 20 randomised controlled trials, all looking at the effects of social media detoxes. It found taking a short break from social media had a small but positive effect on people’s feelings of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Participants also reported feeling less anxious, depressed and lonely. In another 2025 study, researchers blocked participants’ smartphones so they could only receive calls and texts, over a two-week period. The results were striking. The researchers found this intervention had a greater positive effect on participants’ mental health than antidepressants. Importantly, this was because participants spent less time on their phones, but also spent this time doing beneficial activities such as socialising in person, exercising and being in nature. Not for everyone Digital detoxes may impact people differently, due to various factors. One is cultural context. Research suggests people using social media in collectivist cultures such as Turkey may experience more social pressure to respond quickly and maintain extensive networks, compared to those in more individualistic societies. So people in collectivist cultures may benefit more from taking a break from social media. Another is gender. Research suggests women mainly use social media to maintain relationships, and that they compare their physical appearance to others. This means they may benefit more from a digital detox, compared to men. One 2020 study found women who took a one-week break from Instagram felt significantly more satisfied with their life than women who stayed on it. However, the researchers did not see the same effect in men. All about the approach Current research suggests doing a digital detox may improve your mental health. But the way you approach it matters. You shouldn’t just go cold turkey on technology. That’s because you’re less likely to sustain that change. One 2023 study found people who reduced their daily smartphone use by one hour experienced stronger and more lasting mental health benefits, compared to those who quit entirely. Here are some tips to make your digital detox last: identify any unhelpful habits, for example checking your phone too often or bringing it everywhere make a plan to change those habits, for instance setting app time limits or only checking messages at certain times set specific goals, such as taking a break from Instagram for one week share your goals with family and friends, both so they can support you and understand why you may not reply to their messages monitor your progress, for example by reflecting on whether you feel less anxious or are sleeping better. It’s hard to stay present and connected in our increasingly digital world. But doing a digital detox could help. Importantly, the aim is not to eliminate technology from your life, but to use it in a more conscious, deliberate way. Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A month at sea with no technology taught me how to steal my life back from my phone (2026-02-26T11:21:00+05:30)

Robert Hassan, The University of Melbourne A survey this year revealed that Australians, on average, spend 10.2 hours a day with interactive digital technologies. And this figure goes up every year. This is time we don’t get back. And our analogue lives, which include everything not digital, shrink in direct proportion. I recently decided to spend four weeks at sea without access to my phone or the internet, and here’s what I learnt about myself, and the digital rat race I was caught in. Cold turkey Until a year or so ago, I was a 10.2 hours a day person. Over the years, dependence on technology and stress had destroyed any semblance of balance in my life – between work and home, or pleasure and obligation. I wanted to quit, or cut down, at least. Tech “detox” apps such as the time-limiting Screen Time were useless. Even with these, I was still “on”, and just a click away from unblocking Instagram. So I thought: what about going cold turkey? No screen time at all, 24/7. Was that possible, and what would it feel like? My commute to work passed the Footscray docks, where container-ships come and go. Passing one day, I wondered if it was possible to go on one of those ships and travel from Melbourne to … somewhere? Turns out it was. You can book a cabin online and just go. And in what was probably an impulse, I went. For about four weeks I had no devices, as I sailed solo from West Melbourne to Singapore. I wanted to experiment, to see what it felt like to take a digital detox, and whether I could change my habits when I returned home. What I learnt Cold turkey withdrawal is difficult. Even in prison, many inmates have access of some kind of device. The time on that ship taught me there is a whole other side to life, the non-digital side, that gets pushed aside by the ubiquitous screen. Real life contains people, conversations, flesh and textures that are not glass or plastic. It also contains whole worlds that exist inside your head, and these can be summoned when we have the time, and devote a bit of effort to it. These are worlds of memory and imagination. Worlds of reflection and thought. Worlds you see differently to the pallid glare of a screen. I took four books with me and read them in a way I hadn’t before: slower, deeper and with more contemplation. The words were finite (and therefore precious). I’d never spent time like this in my whole life, and was inspired to write about it in detail. Of course, we all have our own commitments and can’t always do something like this. But away from the screen, I learned a lot about our digital world and about myself, and have tried to adapt these lessons to “normal” life. Since I’ve been back, it feels like some sense of balance has been restored. Part of this came from seeing the smartphone as a slightly alien thing (which it is). And instead of being something that always prompts me, I flipped the power dynamic around, to make it something I choose to use - and choose when to use. Meaning sometimes it’s OK to leave it at home, or switch it off. If you can persist with these little changes, you might find even when you have your phone in your pocket, you can go hours without thinking about it. Hours spent doing precious, finite, analogue things. How to get started You could begin by deleting most of your apps. You’ll be surprised by how many you won’t miss. Then, slowly flip the power dynamic between you and your device around. Put it in a drawer once a week - for a morning, then for a day - increasing this over time. If this sounds a bit like commercial digital detox self-care, then so be it. But this is minus the self-care gurus and websites. Forget those. No one (and no app) is really going to help you take back your agency. You need to do it yourself, or organise it with friends. Perhaps try seeing who can go the furthest. After a few weeks, you might reflect on how it feels: what’s the texture of the analogue world you got back? Because, more likely than not, you will get it back. For some, it might be a quieter and more subjective pre-digital world they half remember. For others, it might be something quite new, which maybe feels a bit like freedom. Robert Hassan, Professor, School of Culture and Communication, The University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Spending too much time online? Try these helpful tips to improve your digital wellness (2026-02-11T12:09:00+05:30)

Bindiya Dutt, University of Stavanger and Mary Lynn Young, University of British Columbia Using digital platforms is increasingly the only option to manage our daily lives, from filling out forms at the doctor’s office or government offices to ordering food, booking a cab, paying taxes, banking, shopping or dating. Often, people are coerced into using apps or online platforms by the absence of any other options. Our social lives are equally entrenched in social media platforms. While the availability of services and opportunities on digital platforms may offer easier access or create an impression of wider connections, it also potentially harms our wellbeing. The adverse impacts of digital use have grown since the pandemic, as social isolation has increased dependence on these technologies. Impacts of excessive use of digital technologies range from physical problems such as increasing eye strain or dry eye to emotional concerns such as social media dependence. This in turn could trigger mental health issues due to online comparison and trolling. Other effects of platform dependence involve data privacy concerns with artificial intelligence and digital fraud. Likewise, social media comes with peer pressure, including the fear of missing out or social ostracism for not following digital trends. These affect our physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. Recognizing and managing digital problems can improve our digital wellbeing. For some, digital autonomy refers to being in charge of personal data or having the right to withdraw consent from digital platforms. For others, it may be the ability to turn away from digital use and access non-digital options. Digital independence Choosing to reduce or eliminate the use of digital platforms might seem like a feasible option. However, the coercive nature of these systems limits the availability of non-digital alternatives. For example, Meta’s refusal to share Canadian news media content had real impacts, highlighting people’s dependence on platforms for important news. The question of our autonomy as digital users is complex, as seen in the current conversation around smartphone use and its potential ban in classrooms. This touches on issues such as the relationship between self-regulation and government regulation. Another example emerges in the choices of how schools integrate digital learning — access versus screen time for example. Schools sometimes provide devices to students, and although this bridges the digital divide, it raises the question of whether students should be constantly available on digital devices? What alternatives can there be to digital platforms? How can we create an environment with varied choices while providing non-digital alternatives to accommodate individuals prone to digital addiction? Conversely, how might individuals averse to digital platforms or those lacking digital accessibility avail non-digital opportunities? Achieving balance Wellbeing comprises of creating a pleasant flow in all areas of life including physical, mental, emotional, financial and spiritual. Digital risks and digital overload can have detrimental effects on different areas of life including interpersonal relationships, productivity, sleep patterns and the quality of life. Wellbeing in the digital space largely depends on how we navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by technology. This could mean taking actions like monitoring screen-time, refraining from random scrolling, partaking in offline activities and understanding the risks of digital overuse. Focusing on balanced and ethical use of technology while addressing the potential negative consequences can help deflect negative impacts. Yet there are larger roles and responsibilities for platform creators and government bodies to protect us from digital dependence, such as offering non-digital options. While we do not yet have complete agency over our data privacy, we can gain agency over our digital usage by encouraging opportunities for non-digital alternatives. Tools for digital wellbeing To manage digital dependence and overload, service providers can offer non-digital options. Engaging with technology without becoming dependent on it can contribute to physical, psychological, social and financial wellbeing. Incorporating some daily practices, creating new digital habits, and striking a healthy balance between digital use and non-use can support wellbeing. Tracking Paying attention to our daily digital usage and monitoring screen time helps us understand how, why and when we get drawn to our devices. Using the devices purposefully may assist in finding alternative activities. Taking screen breaks Turning off notifications or completely switching off for some time each day encourages us to take notice of the surroundings. Creating a digital curfew Setting up a specific cut-off time for digital devices some hours before bedtime can improve sleep hygiene. Tech-free days Assigning a day in a week or month which is tech-free helps to unplug digitally, limit digital dependence and help regain a sense of autonomy. Assigning a specific space for devices Allotting a space for all devices helps to keep them away from certain areas of the home which are meant for rest. Nature-based activities Spending time in nature, yoga and relaxation offer several health benefits. Likewise, practising mindfulness helps reconnect with present surroundings. Forming offline social connections Staying away from digital devices while meeting friends in person can curb digital usage and bolster social connections. Being wary of digital red flags Learning how to identify a scam and validating websites before making online payments helps to avoid financial scams. Similarly, exercising due diligence when navigating online sites and social media platforms can help avert falling prey to cat-fishing which can lead to both emotional and financial losses. Bindiya Dutt, Doctoral Candidate, Media and Communication, University of Stavanger and Mary Lynn Young, Professor, School of Journalism, Writing and Media, University of British Columbia This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Bindiya Dutt, Doctoral Candidate, Media and Communication, University of Stavanger and Mary Lynn Young, Professor, School of Journalism, Writing and Media, University of British Columbia This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Indian origin wellness institute plans a million-participant meditation event, eyes Guinness record (2025-12-18T12:36:00+05:30)

(Source: IANS/Xinhua) Washington, December 18 (IANS) Around one million participants from across the world are planning to join a meditation session on December 21, organised by the Heartfulness Institute, an initiative that promotes peace and harmony through collective meditation, and is expected to set a new Guinness World Record. Speaking to IANS, James Joseph, Executive Vice President of HTC Global Services and a senior trainer for Heartfulness Meditation, said the event will coincide with World Meditation Day and feature a live, guided session. "On December 21, we are having a world meditation day, and there will be a live meditation at 9:30 a.m. in the US," Joseph said. "We are expecting about a million people from around the world to participate in this event." He said the collective effort is intended to create a shared moment of calm amid heightened global tensions. "The main purpose of this event is to bring up a level of peace and harmony in the entire world through 1 million people meditating," Joseph told IANS. The Heartfulness Institute, a global meditation movement with roots in India, is organising the programme. According to Joseph, the session will be guided by Daaji, the organisation's global guide, who is based in India. "This is being organised by the Heartfulness Institute, which is headed by Daji, who currently resides in India," he said. "He is the global guide for Heartfulness meditation, and he'll be the one who will be presiding over this meditation." Joseph described Daaji as the current leader of a meditative tradition that blends ancient practices with modern accessibility. "Daaji is currently the representative for what we call the heartfulness, tradition, or the … which is an ancient form of Raji yoga," he said, adding that "a modernised version is today known as Heartfulness." He noted that the movement today has a significant global footprint. Daaji, Joseph said, leads "this organisation of about 10 million meditators across the world who have either experience or who are practising meditation." The December 21 meditation is expected to see participation from across continents. "There are about 160 countries, people from 160 countries are going to enthusiastically participate in this meditation," Joseph said. Participation in the event is free and open to all, he said, adding that interested parties can register via a QR code provided by the organisers. "There are no fees involved. It is absolutely free," he noted. Reflecting on the broader significance of the initiative, Joseph underscored India's role in shaping global wellness traditions. "The greatest contribution that India has made is in the field of yoga and meditation," he said, calling the December 21 event "a great opportunity for us to contribute and be part of that movement." He said meditation offers a path toward collective transformation. "Meditation is the best way to transform minds, transform hearts to bring peace to humanity," Joseph told IANS, adding that participants would be joining "one million souls, one million hearts meditating together." World Meditation Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly and is observed annually on December 21, aligning with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, a time traditionally associated with reflection and inner calm.Heartfulness is rooted in the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, a global spiritual organisation headquartered in India, and has expanded worldwide through meditation centres, trained practitioners and digital platforms, with its leadership and guiding philosophy continuing to be anchored in India. Indian origin wellness institute plans a million-participant meditation event, eyes Guinness record | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

A month at sea with no technology taught me how to steal my life back from my phone (2025-12-16T13:40:00+05:30)

The time we invest in our digital lives is time we don’t get back. But, it’s not impossible to knock your digital-dependance - and the holidays are the best time to start. SHUTTERSTOCK Robert Hassan, The University of Melbourne A survey this year revealed that Australians, on average, spend 10.2 hours a day with interactive digital technologies. And this figure goes up every year. This is time we don’t get back. And our analogue lives, which include everything not digital, shrink in direct proportion. I recently decided to spend four weeks at sea without access to my phone or the internet, and here’s what I learnt about myself, and the digital rat race I was caught in. Cold turkey Until a year or so ago, I was a 10.2 hours a day person. Over the years, dependence on technology and stress had destroyed any semblance of balance in my life – between work and home, or pleasure and obligation. I wanted to quit, or cut down, at least. Tech “detox” apps such as the time-limiting Screen Time were useless. Even with these, I was still “on”, and just a click away from unblocking Instagram. So I thought: what about going cold turkey? No screen time at all, 24/7. Was that possible, and what would it feel like? My commute to work passed the Footscray docks, where container-ships come and go. Passing one day, I wondered if it was possible to go on one of those ships and travel from Melbourne to … somewhere? Turns out it was. You can book a cabin online and just go. And in what was probably an impulse, I went. For about four weeks I had no devices, as I sailed solo from West Melbourne to Singapore. I wanted to experiment, to see what it felt like to take a digital detox, and whether I could change my habits when I returned home. What I learnt Cold turkey withdrawal is difficult. Even in prison, many inmates have access of some kind of device. The time on that ship taught me there is a whole other side to life, the non-digital side, that gets pushed aside by the ubiquitous screen. Real life contains people, conversations, flesh and textures that are not glass or plastic. It also contains whole worlds that exist inside your head, and these can be summoned when we have the time, and devote a bit of effort to it. These are worlds of memory and imagination. Worlds of reflection and thought. Worlds you see differently to the pallid glare of a screen. I took four books with me and read them in a way I hadn’t before: slower, deeper and with more contemplation. The words were finite (and therefore precious). I’d never spent time like this in my whole life, and was inspired to write about it in detail. Of course, we all have our own commitments and can’t always do something like this. But away from the screen, I learned a lot about our digital world and about myself, and have tried to adapt these lessons to “normal” life. Since I’ve been back, it feels like some sense of balance has been restored. Part of this came from seeing the smartphone as a slightly alien thing (which it is). And instead of being something that always prompts me, I flipped the power dynamic around, to make it something I choose to use - and choose when to use. Meaning sometimes it’s OK to leave it at home, or switch it off. If you can persist with these little changes, you might find even when you have your phone in your pocket, you can go hours without thinking about it. Hours spent doing precious, finite, analogue things. How to get started You could begin by deleting most of your apps. You’ll be surprised by how many you won’t miss. Then, slowly flip the power dynamic between you and your device around. Put it in a drawer once a week - for a morning, then for a day - increasing this over time. If this sounds a bit like commercial digital detox self-care, then so be it. But this is minus the self-care gurus and websites. Forget those. No one (and no app) is really going to help you take back your agency. You need to do it yourself, or organise it with friends. Perhaps try seeing who can go the furthest. After a few weeks, you might reflect on how it feels: what’s the texture of the analogue world you got back? Because, more likely than not, you will get it back. For some, it might be a quieter and more subjective pre-digital world they half remember. For others, it might be something quite new, which maybe feels a bit like freedom. Robert Hassan, Professor, School of Culture and Communication, The University of Melbourne This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Despite Living in the Digital Age, Kids Are Still Playing With Their Parents’ Favorite Childhood Toys (2025-09-08T11:26:00+05:30)

Toy Story 4, which opened in theaters this June, became the biggest box office animated film blockbuster yet—and it’s no wonder, with beloved toys like Mr. Potato Head playing a starring role. Toys that engage the body, mind, and imagination, still hold the #1 place in the hearts of children, despite the pervasiveness of digital devices. In fact, Mr. Potato Head and Play Doh are the top vintage toys that have withstood the test of time, according to new a study of 2,000 American parents. Other toys that are still starring in American homes and continue to enchant kids after decades of familiarity include trolls, toy phones, teddy bears, and plastic dinosaurs. Board games have proven to be timeless, as well. Whether you grew up in the ’70s, ’80s, or 90s, families can’t get enough of classic board games—particularly, Scrabble, Monopoly, Candy Land, the Game of Life, and Mouse Trap. They all ranked in the top 30 of toys that were played with by both parents and, later, their children. Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Mr. Potato Head, who has undergone several iterations of his own, the survey revealed that adults are still kids-at-heart who love playing with these toys. Nearly half of parents said their favorite childhood toy is still on the market—and 84% have purchased, or plan to purchase, that toy for their own child. When it comes to buying any toy for a child, parents are on the look out for a certain set of qualities. Three in five parents want a toy that’s educational, but just behind that is a toy’s ability to make their kid laugh (60%). Fifty-nine percent are on the hunt for a toy that’s colorful, while 56% look for something interactive. TOP TIMELESS TOYS (ENJOYED OVER MULTIPLE GENERATIONS) 1. Play Doh 2. Mr. Potato Head 3. Trolls 4. My Little Pony 5. Furby 6. Puzzles 7. Toy phone 8. Bop It 9. Building blocks 10. Bicycle 11. Yoyo 12. Guess Who? 13. Water blasters 14. Teddy bear 15. Scrabble 16. Tricycle 17. Candy Land 18. Game Boy 19. Spinning tops 20. Toy cash register 21. Plastic animals 22. Monopoly 23. Mouse Trap 24. Game of Life 25. Transformers 26. Clue 27. Baby Alive 28. Plastic food/kitchen supplies 29. Scattergories 30. Perfection ALSO CHECK OUT THE TOP TOYS LOVED BY ADULTS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS 1. Mr. Potato Head 2. Trolls 3. Play-Doh 4. My Little Pony 5. Toy phones 6. Furby 7. Puzzles 8. Building blocks 9. Yoyo 10. Bicycles 11. Bop It 12. Teddy bears 13. Baby dolls 14. Spinning tops 15. Candy Land 16. Guess Who? 17. Tricycle 18. Scrabble 19. Plastic animals 20. Toy cash register 21. Yahtzee! 22. Monopoly 23. Rubber duck 24. Clue 25. Mouse Trap 26. Game of Life 27. Plastic food/kitchen supplies 28. Perfection 29. Scattergories 30. Hungry, Hungry Hippos 31. Scooter 32. Bead maze 33. Sorry! 34. Operation 35. GI Joe 36. Super Soakers 37. Chutes + Ladders 38. Taboo 39. TroubleThe GNN staff loved the surprise of seeing Mousetrap and other favorites making the list of toys that are not in the attic. Tell us which ones have been passed down or repurchased in your family? Despite Living in the Digital Age, Kids Are Still Playing With Their Parents’ Favorite Childhood Toys

Youth NGO teaches African traditions in digital world (2025-08-05T14:01:00+05:30)

Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association has spent years teaching people about the faith using digital platforms, with YouTube videos dating back 14 years, but wants to take the value of its music a step further. - It is the long-term goal of members of the Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association to host an Orisha symphony. The youth NGO has spent years teaching people about the faith using digital platforms, with YouTube videos dating back 14 years, but wants to take the value of its music a step further. Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association’s musical coordinator and secretary Sheena Ajibola Richardson is the holder of the symphony dream. She said TT’s Orisha songs are not as well-known as others across the region, and collaborating with groups across the diaspora would help spread knowledge of TT’s songs. That is why she plans to host an Orisha symphony based solely on TT’s Orisha music and hopes it could become reality in a year and a half. “As well as have our singers and drummers do this whole symphonic piece,” Richardson said. “We only see Orisha music in TT as a spiritual thing and I want to take it and the entire group to bigger stages in TT and the world.” Founded in 2009 with just four members, the NGO is now a body with over 40 members, most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 30. Egbe Omo Oni Isese performs at the 2025 Yoruba Village Drum Festival. - In a recent Zoom meeting, founder, manager and projects coordinator Michael Olumbe Diaz, PRO, education and development officer Omoleye Afiya Diaz and Richardson spoke to Newsday about the group’s work and plans. Diaz said the south-based group is composed of members from across TT. “Our organisation aims to sensitise the local, regional and international community about traditional African drumming, music, practices. “We are not only a drumming group, but we are a spiritually-inclined group that practises the Ifa tradition, known as Orisha in Trinidad,” she said. The original group was called the Ome Orisha Team. “This grew from being four members to over 30-something members today. We also have associate members,” she said. But the organisation really took shape when several Orisha elders and cultural groups asked the organisation to support cultural events they were hosting, Olumbe said. The group has since participated in Emancipation, Carnival and international Orisha events. He said members of the group established themselves as disciplined musicians which earned them the respect of the respective communities and led to the group’s expansion. “Over the years, moving from different shrines/areas in TT, people became interested and involved… “We have different support groups of people who just assist, whether it is with videography or cultural preservation.” Olumbe said the group does a lot of cultural preservation and public education about Orisha, encourages professional development and does drum construction and repair. Founded in 2009 with just four members, the Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association is now a body with over 40 members, most of whom are between the ages of 16 and 30. - Photos courtesy Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association It is head-quartered in Point Fortin and most of its rehearsals take place between San Fernando and Point Fortin. “We engage the entire group probably on a weekly basis, not only for events, but also for in-house growth and development. “Our events schedule is very packed, especially coming out of the spiritual traditions. There are spiritual events: weddings, feasts, national festivals every week in TT within different parts of the community.” During the covid19 pandemic, the group increased its online public education. “I remember during the covid19 period, we started using social media a lot more than before, and we started a pilot project with one video and that was to have a backup and a contribution to Emancipation during the pandemic when all festivals were stopped.” Even though the faith has been practised in TT for more than a century, many people are still unaware of the meanings of Orisha songs, he said. “Several of them have their influence from the French, patois and a combination of different languages. What we did, as an organisation, as part of our ongoing projects, is dive deep into the translation of the songs and putting it out in a format where it would be accepted and understood by the general public, people outside of the tradition." Olumbe said one of the ways in which the group presents new or lost information to the community is through video and the creation of social media content. “We utilise the videos to teach parts of the tradition that were misunderstood or unrecognised here in TT." Its YouTube channel shows content from thanksgivings, the Yoruba Drum Festival, its members assisting with conducting an Orisha wedding, among many other things. “We continue to build on understanding the aspects we would have lost over post-slavery, late 1800s into the 1900s. “That is one of the major ways we are, currently, ensuring that we enhance and maximise on increased communication between ourselves and West Africa,” he said. This is just the start for the trainline of projects the Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association has on its cards. So much so, that Olumbe said there will still be things for the next generation of leaders to accomplish. The group has also partnered with other organisations like The Orisha Learning Hub to teach and lecture, spreading the information. While TT’s youth engage with the material, Olumbe thinks there is still stigma surrounding the practice of African traditions, but he believes greater sensitisation could help to combat this. “TT youths are culturally inclined, whether through spoken word (which is African tradition), to steelpan, which is also African based coming out of the freed slaves who would have settled in Belmont and what not. “In the absence of the drums that were made with skins, they would have developed the drums made of steel. The youth are engaged but we need to do more sensitisation in the community.” All the group’s work is funded by some of its associate members, but it hopes, one day, to have a sponsor. Meanwhile, the Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association will continue its work as best as it can and will be participating in three events at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village. “We want to reconstruct the mindset of ourselves as well as the public, and therefore we will execute to the best of our abilities with the love and support of TT and the rest of the world,” Diaz said. It is the long-term goal of members of the Egbe Omo Oni Isese Traditional African Association to host an Orisha symphony. Youth NGO teaches African traditions in digital world - Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Young Adults Joining 'Offline Clubs' Across Europe–to Replace Screen Time with Real Time (2025-06-27T12:59:00+05:30)

– credit The Offline Club via Instagram Not everyone pines for the days without cell phones, but what about social media? Would you erase social media from the history books if you could? If you said yes, you share the feelings of a staggering 46% of teenage respondents to a recent survey from the British Standards Institution (BSI), which also found that 68% of respondents said they felt worse when they spend too much time on their socials. Despite often being seen as the most vulnerable generation to smartphone addiction and social media use, it appears teens, who in any generation are extremely quick to pick up emerging social trends, are picking up on the negative impact social media has had on their lives, and are enthusiastically looking to cut back. Enter The Offline Club, (who ironically have 530,000 followers on Instagram) a Dutch social movement looking to create screen-free public spaces and events in cafes to revive the time before phones, when board games, social interaction, and reading were the activities observed in public. They also host digital detox retreats, where participants unplug from not only their smartphones, but computers too, and experience a life before the internet. In a time when social media and mass, internet-enabled communication through text and video have allowed psychology and medical professionals to gain celebrity levels of influence, many of those same professionals, be it Jonathan Haidt or Dr. Phil McGraw, are sounding the alarm over the harm which the introduction of handheld internet access has had on the mental wellbeing of the youngest generations. BSI’s research showed that out of 1,290 individuals aged 16-21, 47% would prefer to be young in a world without the internet, with 50% also saying a social media curfew would improve their lives. Some countries, DW reports, are considering age restrictions on social media accounts. Australia has already implemented one at age 16. Cell phone bans at schools is becoming more and more common around the world, especially in the UK. The Offline Club is taking advantage of this rising cross-cultural awareness and helps its followers replace “screen time with real time.” Their founders envision a world where time spent in public is present and offline. It started in Amsterdam, but Club chapters quickly organized in Milan, Berlin, Paris, London, Barcelona, Brussels, Antwerp, Dubai, Copenhagen, and Lisbon. Anyone can start a club in a city. So long as they can register a business entity in their country, the Club provides training and branded material. Young Adults Joining 'Offline Clubs' Across Europe–to Replace Screen Time with Real Time

Here’s how more screen time, no exercise may push you to digital dementia (2024-09-03T13:13:00+05:30)

New Delhi, (IANS): Does your work keep you glued to screens for a longer period? Beware, coupled with no physical activity, it might take a toll on your brain's cognitive functions and lead to digital dementia, warned experts on Tuesday. The term “digital dementia” means memory issues and cognitive deterioration brought on by over-dependence on digital devices like smartphones, computers, etc. “Long periods of screen time can affect the brain's cognitive functions,” Dr Vinayak Kshirsagar, Senior Laparoscopic Surgeon, DPU Super Speciality Hospital, Pimpri, Pune told IANS. “This is basically because of the decreased attention span and prolonged screen time, which often involves sitting in a difficult posture on the bed or couch. This can cause various health-related problems, such as obesity, body aches, spine problems, and backaches,” he said. Dementia is a broad term for a range of cognitive impairments that significantly affect an individual's daily functioning. While more common among older people, recent research has highlighted the association between a sedentary lifestyle and an increased risk of developing dementia, especially in younger adults. It emphasises the importance of physical activity in both prevention and management. A 2022 study investigated the relationship between total dementia risk and sedentary activities, such as watching television and using computers, and found that regardless of physical activity levels, spending more time engaged in sedentary activities increases the risk of developing dementia. Another study found individuals who used screens for more than four hours a day had a higher chance of developing vascular dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. “The symptoms of digital dementia include short-term memory loss, trouble remembering words and difficulty in multitasking, a decline of attention span and learning capacity. Its consequences are aggravated by a sedentary lifestyle characterised by long periods of inactivity when the person is tied to his desk and screen for a majority of the day,” Dr. Pawan Ojha, Director - Neurology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, told IANS. Prolonged periods of inactivity such as sitting or lying down while awake, are increasingly common in modern society. This lifestyle has been linked to various health issues, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dementia. “Physical inactivity can lead to structural changes in the brain, inflammation and reduces blood flow to the brain,” Dr (Lt Gen) CS Narayanan, VSM Chairman, Institute of Neurosciences, Manipal Hospital Dwarka, New Delhi, told IANS. “This can also lead to changes in behavioural patterns because continuous digital processing means our memory isn't being trained for short and fast-paced tasks. We're not using all of our neuronal channels in the brain as much, which can lead to excessive anxiety, stress levels, and possible changes in behavioural patterns,” Kshirsagar said. Narayanan said conditions like obesity and diabetes, which are exacerbated by inactivity, are also known risk factors for dementia. Incorporating short, frequent breaks from sitting throughout the day can help reduce sedentary time. Simple activities like standing up, stretching, or taking a short walk can make a significant difference. “Regular exercise, particularly aerobic activity, can improve cardiovascular health, reduce inflammation, and enhance neuroplasticity -- the brain's ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections. These benefits are critical in maintaining cognitive function and reducing the risk of dementia,” the expert said.The experts also suggested moderate use of screen time. For general cognitive health, it's critical to utilize digital technology carefully and have a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Here’s how more screen time, no exercise may push you to digital dementia | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com