We Don't Want to Talk Anymore
Today's 24/7 connectivity has many looking for ways to reclaim a place away from social networks and the expectation of instant responses. Multi-award winning author, Leigh K. Cunningham says it should be OK to be unsociable and offline and in fact, it has become a necessity.
Los Angeles, CA, September 14, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Social networks like Facebook and Twitter together with advances in telecommunications have connected people like never before yet a lot of people are now looking to disconnect.
A new study conducted by Nokia found that people are more likely to reach out to their friends and family via text messages or email with only 17% of respondents likely to choose a voice call to connect.
Even though the number of wireless connections have increased dramatically in recent years, voice usage on those phones has decreased, and our calls are getting shorter. In 2003, the average local mobile phone call lasted a leisurely three minutes, by 2010 it had been trimmed to a terse one minute and 47 seconds. No one wants to talk anymore.
Award-winning, bestselling author of “Being Anti-Social”, Leigh K. Cunningham says “email, texting and messaging via Facebook is less intrusive. We're all trying to do too much with our time so being able to communicate on the run or when it’s convenient is much easier than a phone call or drop-in.”
However with so little face time there is a risk that we will lose the ability to communicate altogether especially when it comes to dealing with difficult situations like relationship break-downs and family issues.
But Cunningham says not. “When you deal with people all day with your job and you're expected to be switched on 24/7 at home and work, it’s reasonable to want to cut yourself off at some point to recharge. Your home should be a sanctuary away from the demands of the world and this makes you better able to handle the day-to-day demands and stresses of busy lives. It doesn’t suddenly make you unable to communicate. Some call it being anti-social but it’s become a necessity. We need to be able to disconnect without feeling guilty. If you are anti-social, preferring your own company and alone time, you shouldn't have to apologize, or endure family and friends efforts to 'hook you up' to get you out of your place of comfort."
In “Being Anti-Social,” the main protagonist does just that. At the end of each day in the corporate world, and especially on weekends, the answering machine takes her calls, she screens visitors and only uses email for communication when it suits her. She reluctantly joins Facebook but her lack of interest is evident. Most importantly, she's happy although family and friends don't accept this.
Cunningham says the story was inspired by real events. “Friends had asked me to join them for a night out. I’d had a rough day at work and didn’t want to go so I said as much. This wasn’t accepted – they said going out was the best cure for a bad work day and staying home was ‘anti-social’ so I relented. I had a miserable time and it left me thinking that in future I would have to lie myself out of these situations. I shouldn’t have to. It should be OK to choose to stay home. It should be OK to be ‘anti-social'.’”
About the Author Leigh K Cunningham
Leigh K Cunningham [www.leighkcunningham.com] is a lawyer with a career as a senior executive for a number of public companies in her home country of Australia. She has master’s degrees in law (Master of International Trade & Investment Law) and commerce (Master of Commerce) as well as an MBA (International Management).
Being Anti-Social won a gold medal at the 2012 Readers Favorite books awards, and was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Comic Fiction (July 2012). RAIN, Leigh's first title for the adult fiction market (April 2011) was named the winner in the Literary Fiction category at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards. RAIN was also awarded a silver medal at the 2011 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPY) in the Regional Fiction: Australia/New Zealand category. RAIN was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Women’s Fiction (December 2011).
Leigh's first two children's books, The Glass Table and its sequel, Shards are recipients of silver medals from the Mom's Choice Awards. Shards was also a finalist at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards in the Juvenile Fiction category.
Leigh is a director and founding member of the Association of Independent Authors.
A new study conducted by Nokia found that people are more likely to reach out to their friends and family via text messages or email with only 17% of respondents likely to choose a voice call to connect.
Even though the number of wireless connections have increased dramatically in recent years, voice usage on those phones has decreased, and our calls are getting shorter. In 2003, the average local mobile phone call lasted a leisurely three minutes, by 2010 it had been trimmed to a terse one minute and 47 seconds. No one wants to talk anymore.
Award-winning, bestselling author of “Being Anti-Social”, Leigh K. Cunningham says “email, texting and messaging via Facebook is less intrusive. We're all trying to do too much with our time so being able to communicate on the run or when it’s convenient is much easier than a phone call or drop-in.”
However with so little face time there is a risk that we will lose the ability to communicate altogether especially when it comes to dealing with difficult situations like relationship break-downs and family issues.
But Cunningham says not. “When you deal with people all day with your job and you're expected to be switched on 24/7 at home and work, it’s reasonable to want to cut yourself off at some point to recharge. Your home should be a sanctuary away from the demands of the world and this makes you better able to handle the day-to-day demands and stresses of busy lives. It doesn’t suddenly make you unable to communicate. Some call it being anti-social but it’s become a necessity. We need to be able to disconnect without feeling guilty. If you are anti-social, preferring your own company and alone time, you shouldn't have to apologize, or endure family and friends efforts to 'hook you up' to get you out of your place of comfort."
In “Being Anti-Social,” the main protagonist does just that. At the end of each day in the corporate world, and especially on weekends, the answering machine takes her calls, she screens visitors and only uses email for communication when it suits her. She reluctantly joins Facebook but her lack of interest is evident. Most importantly, she's happy although family and friends don't accept this.
Cunningham says the story was inspired by real events. “Friends had asked me to join them for a night out. I’d had a rough day at work and didn’t want to go so I said as much. This wasn’t accepted – they said going out was the best cure for a bad work day and staying home was ‘anti-social’ so I relented. I had a miserable time and it left me thinking that in future I would have to lie myself out of these situations. I shouldn’t have to. It should be OK to choose to stay home. It should be OK to be ‘anti-social'.’”
About the Author Leigh K Cunningham
Leigh K Cunningham [www.leighkcunningham.com] is a lawyer with a career as a senior executive for a number of public companies in her home country of Australia. She has master’s degrees in law (Master of International Trade & Investment Law) and commerce (Master of Commerce) as well as an MBA (International Management).
Being Anti-Social won a gold medal at the 2012 Readers Favorite books awards, and was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Comic Fiction (July 2012). RAIN, Leigh's first title for the adult fiction market (April 2011) was named the winner in the Literary Fiction category at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards. RAIN was also awarded a silver medal at the 2011 Independent Publisher Awards (IPPY) in the Regional Fiction: Australia/New Zealand category. RAIN was #1 on the Amazon bestseller list for Women’s Fiction (December 2011).
Leigh's first two children's books, The Glass Table and its sequel, Shards are recipients of silver medals from the Mom's Choice Awards. Shards was also a finalist at the 2011 Indie Excellence Awards in the Juvenile Fiction category.
Leigh is a director and founding member of the Association of Independent Authors.
Contact
Leigh K Cunnningham
+65-62585309
www.leighkcunningham.com
+65-62585309
www.leighkcunningham.com
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Being Anti-Social, Leigh K. Cunningham
Mace Evans is single at thirty-eight. When her much unloved sister, Shannon, declares that Mace is anti-social, she embarks on a journey to understand her condition; whether she was born that way or if it is the accumulation of thirty-eight years of unfortunate encounters with other humans and dogs.
Leigh K. Cunningham
Multi-award winning author of Being Anti-Social, Rain, The Glass Table and Shards.
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