Why it's taking you so long to reply to your texts 📵
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🔊 Ding, dong, click... if the sound of incoming messages is giving you headaches (and eye-rolls in my case 🤷♀️), you can bet you're not the only one who feels this way!
I'm not talking about work stuff - man, that's a completely different topic, but about private conversations happening online. Virtual chats on Messenger, WhatsApp, Signal, wherever are the only way how to stay connected while we are sitting at home.
So why it's taking me days to finally respond to a friend's message? Is it my fault? Am I being a terrible friend or could I blame the actual situation?
I've taken look at some data which confirmed my suspicion - that we're all just overwhelmed and tired because of all the talking to virtual faces all day.
And don't let me even mention the fact nowadays we work more - researches from Harvard Business School confirmed the average workday now lasts 8.2% longer = 48.5 extra minutes! with an increased percentage of online meetings.
"Zoom /or Teams/ fatigue" is no joke. Professor Jeremy Bailenson from Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab, certify my theory we are even physically tired from staring alone at the screen the whole day. He identified four reasons why it's a real thing and seeing yourself during video chats is one of them (shame on me 🤦♀️).
So yes, it's absolutely normal and all right that sometimes you don't feel like responding. And chatting online during your free time is something you don't want to do. But you don't need to feel guilty about it - we live in unprecedented times and need to set boundaries. Just don't forget to check and reply later - we all need our friends now more than ever.
Latest Digi Snacks 🍩
🍪 Microsoft's Oasis
Have you seen Spielberg's movie Ready Player One? The film is set in apocalyptic 2045 and people find only salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe. Microsoft recently launched a new platform "Mesh" and it's giving me the same vibes. It basically mixes reality with virtual reality. 🌐
🍪 Robotic police dogs in New York
No, this isn't any movie line. The New York police department has tested a robotic police dog, named Digidog, and has deployed it on the streets of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Clue: it doesn't bark. The creepy video here. 🐕
🍪 Elon Musk and chips for our brains
Neuralink is one of many Elon Musk's companies. Lately, he's been raising eyebrows because of this quote: "We've already got a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull, and the tiny wires, who can play video games using his mind." And the plan is ofc to extend the feature for humans. 🧠
🍪 Rappers + Facebook = 🧡?
You don’t need to have a music studio to be a new Jay-Z. Facebook’s internal R&D group, NPE Team, launched app called BARS. Rappers can create and share their raps here using professionally created beats and record a video. 🎤
🍪 Enjoy Twitter while it's free
Twitter gave a first look at a new feature called Super Follow which lets users pay a monthly fee in exchange for premium content. They'll be also "Communities" very similar to Facebook groups. 💰
One recommendation 👌
Great podcast series by Tara Palmeri about Ghislaine Maxwell (yes, that Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend) and her family history - including the life & death of her father, British media tycoon Robert Maxwell. Brace yourself - controversy and conspiracy theories granted.
One thing that makes me smile 🤭
🎶 Hello, it's me - the truth has been spoken.
That’s a wrap for week one! Did you like it? Feel free to share and your feedback is more than welcome.