 phones, the internet, social media, and our mental health. According to Statista.com, there are about 185 million mobile subscribers, but only between 25 to 40 million users in Nigeria. The revolution in the telecommunications industry saw an explosion of especially smart phones usage as we move from an era of multiplicity of functions to a time now where we virtually have everything at the touch of a button or a swipe. With this newfound world, our lives became easier, more interesting, exposed, and informed. However, this also came at a cost, a cost that we're not focusing on and its impact on our future. It is no longer uncommon to see children as young as five years old with a phone. Most parents justify giving phones to their children to keep them entertained, while others feel it is the right time and justify the position from the angle of security. While there can be something said for the ease and opportunities that phones have brought us, it is time we look at the flip side of the phone and access to the internet in our lives. Everything in life that is good has a potential to be bad if it is abused and lacking in discipline. The dangers of the use of mobile phones and the internet are not being discussed enough. It distracts older children from their studies and chores, makes them complete exam malpractice, spend excessive time on their mobiles and exposes them to bad movies, pornography, online grooming, meeting strangers, and negative role modeling. The truth is that adults are just as vulnerable. In a fast paced world with parents occupied with the rat race, they are not often there as the gatekeepers and guardians of these children. There seems to be a paucity of an apathy towards social media studies as it relates to children in Nigeria. Researchers have suggested that problematic phone use should be classified as a behavioral addiction. In 2020, Netflix released a documentary called Social Dilemma, a docu-drama theme that goes into depth on how social media's design is meant to nurture an addiction. The film also examines the serious issue of social media's effect on mental health, including the mental health of adults and rising teen suicide rates. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs raised their children tech-free, and that should have been a red flag, that the two biggest tech figures in recent history seldom let their children play with the very products they helped create. In 2007, Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, implemented a cap on screen time when their daughter developed an unhealthy attachment to a video game. He also did not let his children get cell phones till they turned 14. Jobs, onto his death in 2012, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he prohibited his kids from using the newly released iPad. Chris Anderson, co-founder of Drone Manufacturer 3D Robotics, in an interview said that his children accused him of being overly concerned about technology. He said, and I quote, that's because we've seen the dangers of technology first hand. I've seen it in myself. I don't want to see that happen to my kids. If wealthy Silicon Valley parents seem to grasp the addictive powers of smartphones, tablets, and computers more than the public does, though these parents often make a living by creating and investing in that technology, shouldn't we sit up? We must sit up. My son is going to be 19 this year. He was not allowed to have a phone until last year when he turned 18. That was when he got his first official phone. Before then, he had to use mom's phone because the moment I heard that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had such a cap on the time that the children were exposed, I said, you've seen me now. So my darling son, a cap on it for you as well. And even now, we try, we try, we try to regulate the use. We try. That's the underlined word because it's becoming increasingly difficult. Classes are held on Zoom. Schedules with your coaches are held online. Almost everything is there. You want to send me a message? You're sending me a link to look at the story you're trying to get me to see. You're trying to send me, you want me to be on the same page as you. You're sending me internet links so that I read, keeping us there further. So we continue to try. I think we must be wiser, especially about our children and holding ourselves to higher standards. Nobody will die. The world won't fall if my phone is dropped for 10 hours a day. The fear of missing out keeps us hanging on constantly. And of course, that adrenaline rush that says, oh, somebody just liked, that's there. But that fear of missing out, what if my client calls? What if my boss calls? What if my associates need my help? Nobody will die. No sky will fall. I'm dropping my phone today. It's something I personally started doing this year intentionally. Every month I have a day off completely. I actually have two days off where somebody takes all my phones and laptops away for two full days. Once it cleanses my mind, it helps me bring back the jitters to say, ha, Joyce, nothing will die. Nothing will stop. You have to put your life in order. Else you'll completely be out of control like any other addicts that you might look down on on the street. Their addiction is cocaine. Mine is my phone. There's no difference. So we must hold ourselves to higher standards. That's deep from Joyce. I am a village man, so the phone addiction is saying doesn't really relate with me that deeply because I can do without it. Last year the doctors advised after I proceeded that my phone be taken away. I didn't miss it. And when the phone came back, I ate phone calls. So when the phone phone came back was a lot of stress. Now on the social media side of things, it's a jungle. The limited time I spend on social media, I'm better able to manage my interaction. After reading a book from Ryan all the day, he called it ego is the enemy. And what you see playing out on social media is just feeding to people's egos and not solving any problem. You hardly see, even among the biggest influencers, people coming out to provide solutions. It's just about the number of likes, the number of retweets and all that. And people go into depression when they don't get that. You could see the kind of impact on people's mental states when they say Twitter takes away their undo or suspends them or these or that. But there is the other very heavy part for those of us who run our businesses on social media. The quality of videos and content I put out determines how people buy my product and feed me. I don't have an office, my office is my phone. Social media is the meeting room for myself and my team. That's our market. Our office is on an app called Slack. That's where we clock in every day. We put in the duties for the day and we take off our phone once again. We run offices. How was I found for the advocate? Social media. I put up a video where I talked about the refineries and it was like, oh, this person sounds like somebody who should be part of the advocate. From social media, that's where I work. You wouldn't know me besides that. So that's back in the balance. Just like Comfort said, for everything that has an advantage, there is an advantage. You can switch off, you can lock your door, switch off your eye, press an iron if you forgot it at home from your phone and all that. So there are advantages to it. But the other side of it is the mentor. Sometimes it's not even the quality of information that you take from social media and allow to impact your life and mentor state is another thing. And so just like you said, maintain a balance and also watch what you consume. There are certain information that are not good for you. There are certain interactions that you should not get yourself involved in. So if you're not going to create a solution, put food on your table, just like you said, there's no point. Why do I argue with you just because I want to be right? I don't have to be right. Move on. Exactly. Well, Comfort, if what you just read out, if that your script was a chat sheet, then I think I should be pleading guilty as charged. Then you are guilty. I'm taking your food. Because when I read your script, it was a reflection of my personal struggle. You understand? But it's because of the nature of what we do and how someone has made, has been able to make himself resourceful. You understand? At every point in time, people are calling you do this, do that. You have so much to read in a day to keep up with. I write a column for an online, a Nigerian online platform. I have to keep up with the key issues. You understand? I have to research far into authorization. So I could be able to formulate my own viewpoint on an issue. So you can switch off. It's unfortunate that life has gone completely E or virtual. So I don't know how we can manage it. Well, as you pointed out, there should always be a need for more vision. I can profess some solutions, things that I am working on myself. Am I allowed to? Please. Number one is to get help. There are people that we call assistants, executive assistants, virtual assistants, whatnot. I'm not big with that, guys. Now it will shock you, but especially because of COVID, some people will work with you for poultry sums as little as $20,000 because without your $20,000, they have no other income. Guess what? They're already good at researching and the research for life, it's their meat, it's their bread, it's their water. So you tell them, I want to get information on this, that, that, that. And you don't work with them every day. You work with them three to four times a week, perhaps. And guess what? That's what it's called, the gig economy. The research for you, the research for me, the research for you. By the time we are paying them $20,000 each, they're making $60,000, but they're working for us. And then we expand their reach. So you get help. The accountant looked at my income and said, we can take from your income and hire other people to help you, to come up with your script. So for the script, for today, for example, I had all the thoughts in my head. I sent a nine minute voice note to someone who is this assistant and said, these are my thoughts, flesh it out and send it back to me. That has saved me time. That has saved me spending six hours on the internet. Then I can put up my phone for a moment just to rest my eyes, even if it's just my eyes, wearing glasses that are anti-glay and all of that. So we look for help. We're constantly trying to find help. Other thing is, if I remember that I'm so resourceful that the people who need me are willing to work at my time, that takes courage and confidence to ask to say, can I submit on Friday? You are saying it's Tuesday deadline. I am saying I can meet you on Friday. Choose. And sometimes they take a step back and say, we need Raymond. Let's wait till Friday. They give you time to rest. It's work in progress and I think we'll get there. Actually, it is serious issue. The last time I traveled, I saw my parents. I was so happy for them. I was so happy because I saw the state they were. My dad had his transistor radio by the side doing some jingles. There was no pressure. There was no rush to noise. There was no likes. They don't know what happened. They are just at peace. So I tried to see how can I actually mirror my life like they are. But unfortunately, I may not be able to do it. I will invite you on my next. I will invite you on my next technology fast today. Maybe we'll fast together. I would welcome that then. I would welcome that. Thank you so much for making us talk about this. I think Raymond is angry today because this question gets us to be. Raymond is asking us to sell this country after this break. I'm with him on it.