Business

Redressing the balance between virtual and real engagement

72 per cent of young people admit to spending between three and 10 hours a day online during weekends and holidays
72 per cent of young people admit to spending between three and 10 hours a day online during weekends and holidays 72 per cent of young people admit to spending between three and 10 hours a day online during weekends and holidays

IN May last year, when the EU referendum campaign was in full throttle, I was listening to a phone in radio debate with a pro leave MP who was fielding questions from the public on how Brexit would help build better and more cohesive communities and, in his eyes, stem the overflowing tide of immigration.

Confident in his skin and articulate in his responses, it took an inspiring young woman who had secured asylum status from Syria and whose English was as equally fluent as his, to challenge the rhetoric.

One thing she said during that discussion stayed with me ever since: ‘Everyday I pray for the things that you take for granted’.

While she wasn’t the first to have said it, what made that remark so salient was that the young woman had a very bright future in her home country which was now in such turmoil. An engineering graduate who had been engaged back home, she was forced to leave without her family, without her belongings, without any money and without the person she loved. At the time she couldn’t even contact her family or friends through any technological device or via any social media platforms.

The intrepid approach she took to her challenges while not hiding her sense of desolation and loss, stopped me in my tracks. It brought one of those momentary pauses when you have a palpable realisation of the things that are important in life and can see the truly privileged opportunities we have at our disposal when compared with many other societies across the globe.

Northern Ireland was portrayed to the world in all its scenic and tourism glory last week. The impact of the Dubai Irish Open at Portstewart both in terms of visitor numbers and the stunning beauty of the site will rarely be surpassed. It is refreshing to see a club of the quality of Portstewart that remains an integral hub of the local community and surrounding areas hosting such a prestigious tournament and credit must go to the European tour, Tourism NI, the Rory Foundation and of course Rory himself.

Irrespective of our challenges, we must be grateful that after 30 years of conflict we are now in the envious position in the north of having these international events on our doorstep. More so than any other part of the UK or Ireland, we should never lose sight of that fact or take our circumstances for granted.

Our ability to use technology to instantly communicate the spectacular backdrop, action and excitement of an event such as the Irish Open is in stark contrast to the plight of the young Syrian refugee who could not even make contact with her loved ones.

In our industry and in business generally, corporate reputation and trust are built upon a company’s capacity to communicate quickly, effectively and in the right way. News breaks on social media first and technology is integral to so much that is good within our working, family and social lives with smart phones neatly packaged to suit our 'anywhere any time' lifestyle.

However, while these assets are invaluable within our society they can also be a hindrance to us fully engaging with the people that matter most in our lives, particularly around holiday time.

Companies need to be cognisant of these challenges and where possible minimise the impact. While it is commonplace for senior management to review emails on holiday, a survey by Travel Republic states that some 52 per cent of people log on to their work emails while on leave with 26 per cent directly responding to them.

From a business perspective it is important that a direct approach to an employee is reasonable and considered only when other avenues have been explored and ruled out.

But this doesn’t address our wider ability or lack thereof to reduce the amount of time we spend online, leaving the phone and social media aside to spend better quality time with our families.

It is estimated that parents and children in the UK exchange around 5,800 messages via text and WhatsApp every single year, yet parents spend less than an hour each day face to face with their family.

Do we need to share pictures, news or posts right throughout our holidays or indeed be the first to retweet that Donald Trump has once again posted something unbefitting his office? If the answer to these two questions is anything other than no, how can we conceivably expect our children to reduce the amount of time they spend online if we cannot lead by example?

Recently I read a satirical commentary that argued society had two new demographics - those who had an adult life before the iPhone and those that came of age in a post iPhone era.

While those of us of a certain vintage will understand the complexities of this suggestion, statistics support the view that young people do recognise that excessive use of mobile devices can be destabilising within a family environment.

Nearly half of the young people within an extensive survey carried out by Digital Awareness UK stated that they wouldn’t mind if their devices were taken off them for a weekend with 82 per cent supporting the view that meal times should be device free. It’s a start at least and can only be helped by Rory McIlroy’s recent self-inflicted social media sabbatical following his Twitter spat with fellow golfer Steve Elkington.

As always though, a report like this comes with a considerable health warning, with 72 per cent of young people admitting to spending between three and 10 hours a day online during weekends and holidays, with 11 per cent spending as long as 10 to 15 hours online daily.

The one area we can never take for granted is the most important of all, family life and there’s no better time to redress the balance between virtual and real engagement than the holiday season. Happy holiday everyone.

:: Claire Aiken is managing director of public relations and public affairs company Aiken.

:: Next week: Brendan Mulgrew