Photograph: Bryan O'BrienIn theory, I use social media solely to promote my work. 2025 was a tough year in my life, and I used my phone as respite from the hard things happening around me. But when life is hard, a portable experience-blocker that can transport you elsewhere can be difficult to resist. I’m going to read, write, swim and learn to play more than one chord on the guitar, among other things. At the end of the month, I’ll assess what value has been lost by what I’ve cut out, what I want to add back in and how I’m going to do it.

Source: The Irish Times January 17, 2026 09:00 UTC