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Blog, Creative Essays, Writers

Commentary on my Digital Product : Immigrants of the Turbulent Waters by Becky Oludayo Peleowo

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                                                                                                            I  I recall that the first time I became fully conscious of illegal migration was when I heard a first-hand story from a victim at an Illegal migration awareness conference, where I had accompanied some secondary school students to listen to the dangers of this shady business. The stories I heard that day tormented me for months and strengthened my resolve never to be desperate about leaving Nigeria. It was even more a resolve not to seek permanent residency in any country outside the coasts of Africa. You can say I was traumatised by the stories I heard and you would be right. Who would not be after hearing such gory tales?  That resolve waned with time but I would still vehemently discourage illegal migration. Many Nigerians are unaware of the peril that lies ahead of going through unauthorised paths to a foreign land. Many lack an international passport but will fall victim to agents who promise to take them abroad with seamless efforts. My commentary centres on this persistent challenge as the Japa Syndrome due to the financial crisis and insecurity in Nigeria is on the rise.  The 21-day self-evaluation exercise organised by the Cmoni group required us to do away with bad habits that were affecting our productivity and build new and better ones. Luckily I was taking a digital marketing course and the time I used to chitchat on social media was channelled into this course and also on writing in a platform, (Nircle community), where we had to write on different prompts monthly – For instance, December’s prompt is water. What could I write about water?  First I had to complete my Capstone Project for the Digital Women Boot Camp, then to make this commentary and finally to submit my entry on the prompt in Nircle Community. Merging this task was herculean for me but since one of the skills I tried to improve on during the 21-day retreat was time management, I decided to work on a vocalised poem as my digital product. The poem was my entry for the Nircle Community. I recorded the poem as a voice-over track, then used some stock and personal images to create content that emotionally appeals to the public. I used the Capcut app to achieve this and the experience of creating and editing my design was an exhilarating one for me.  The topic, “Immigrants of the Turbulent Waters” was chosen because I had to write on water and secondly because of a distant relative who was reported to have left Nigeria through one of these illegal means and her immediate family had no information on her whereabouts. A neighbour also shared his brother’s pathetic story on the same topic. Drawing my inspiration from these situations, I linked water to illegal immigration by sea and then I wrote a poem for the Nircle Community and made a vocalised poem in video form for my Cmoni Project, using the skills I had acquired from the Digital Boot Camp. Now I have one theme presented in different forms. You must be thinking of the cliche, “Killing two birds with one stone.” That’s just what it is!                                                       II  During the 21-day disengagement exercise, I acquired digital skills. I learnt Search Engine Optimisation, Google Analytics, Social media analytics, and web analytics amongst others.  Currently, I have confirmed my Google website and am already taking measures to increase the visibility of my business in search rankings.  Just like I mentioned earlier, my time management skill has improved. This makes me more productive and gives me a sense of fulfilment. The above-mentioned skill could not have been achieved without the Pomodoro app – Focus and Google tasks.  Regular writing on the Nircle app and reading from other writers expanded my knowledge, especially in poetry and non-fiction writing. Writing more often is one of the target skills I had to improve and I achieved this and got rewarded for my effort. I was able to read often too but this time my focus was on the resources for the Digital Marketing Course. I am glad to say I completed the course and I am looking forward to my certificate, a document that will propel me into the digital jobs sphere.  On improvement, I would love to spend less time using my mobile phone. I noticed that my daily dealings revolve around it. I’m already using my laptop for journaling but then the portability of the mobile phone makes it a better option. The time away from this device will be spent on family bonding. 

Blog, Lifestyle

Your pathway to online productivity.: Disappear For 21 Days.

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Week 1: Welcome to our first meeting. I’m a stickler for punctuality but I usually give 10 minutes because we all know the frustrations with Nigerian networks. So after 10 minutes, we started with Becky Peleowo and Solomon Ekoja. The attendance was good enough for me to unpack my points without any feeling of disappointment. I’m experienced enough to know that doubts often follow disappointments. It is even more so in the early stages. Your response should be to hang in there with self-belief because you are creating value to build something bigger than yourself. The disappointment and doubts will eventually form an interesting part of your success story. So I thanked them for accepting the challenge and turning up. Now let’s dive in. I’m excited about this self-development step of having better control of your time. If you have been following my writing, you will know I’m interested in skills capabilities development with writing as the crucible. I develop compelling content including but not limited to articles that not only inform but also provoke thought and discourse. It’s a burgeoning passion fueled by the desire to give back to society. Before now, I wrote sociopolitical commentaries mostly on Facebook — arguably a complete waste of time. I could write multiple posts daily. It’s easy. I introduce the topic, smack down opposing views, then present my take and conclude. That’s it. Post done and arguments ensue! But if I have to be published in a newspaper — perhaps a worthwhile venture —  I take my time to research the topic, review the background, argue for and against it, and analyse the different perspectives before concluding with my opinion/suggestions. It’s a skill I learned in my Cardiff days studying Political Communication. It’s also a better way of articulating my thoughts in a more comprehensible manner. However, I decided to move on to scalable writing, investing my resources in building digital communities for knowledge acquisition that will enhance the productivity of our teeming youths. I no longer fall for cheap dopamine and the vacuous validation of uncritical minds. Now I derive real enduring pleasure in reading stories from writers in our growing community, in seeing their enthusiasm as we chat during Talkshops and in the vision I have for younger people to be more productive by creating solutions that add value. The cmonionline essay competition was a baby step I took during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 to improve the waning literary culture in Nigeria. Through repetitions and iterations, we developed consistency in writing and we keep growing. Already a member of our community Oluwaseun Osanyinro has published a book and more members will evolve into published authors at the end of our current “A Book In A Year” project.  We are also evolving into digital creators, educators and multiple solution providers as we acquire practicable digital skills through various e-tivities. It’s a process, and even though progress may appear slow now, I am certain the tune will be different sooner than later. By embarking on this journey we will reduce the distractions in a fast-paced world and increase our focus which of course is essential for improved productivity. During our meeting, I narrated my Facebook story which informed this challenge. I also shared my experience with Communities Of Practice, a module in my post-graduate studies at UCC which exposed me to the importance of group work and collaboration. Future write-ups will have these stories but for now, let’s focus on what we can start doing. Much of what we have to do in 21 days is in the text you read. In between we will meet thrice to discuss and learn on Sundays 19/11/2023, 26/11/2023 & 03/12/2023. If you haven’t read the post please find time to read it here. Let me repeat number 6 which will form the basis of the final creative project that will win the 100k prize. Journal: Finally, get a notepad/diary, traditional or digital and write down your daily routine/experience. As hard as it may seem, endeavour to write some words each morning. 100, 200 or more words will do as the following 3 weeks may well prove to be a turning point. And what better way to appreciate it than to record it for possible systemisation, productisation and monetisation! ACTIONABLE TIPS: You can start doing any or all of the following that require zero capital. 1. Create a routine if you don’t have one already. If your routine is based on your current job you need to modify it to integrate your aspirations. Don’t spend all your time working to achieve another person’s goal. 2. Start sanitising your social media TL Follow those who post value and your interests. Interact, engage. Social media is a mirror that works on algorithms. Your input determines your output. I follow and unfollow people daily. If you constantly tweet values like writing and other skills I’ll follow you. If you repeatedly tweet frivolities like betting and porn I will unfollow you. Read this post to understand more. 3. Use a reminder to think twice before you act online. eg I have a stop sign as my screensaver. It reminds me to stop engaging in frivolities when I pick up my phone. 4. Start creating online. I’ve written about this here. The creator economy is huge and guess what? It requires zero capital to start. You only need digital skills. There are tons of free and affordable knowledge tutors to learn from. Podcasts, YouTube videos, courses etc. 5. Use tools that aid your consistency. eg I use Buffer to schedule my posts every Sunday. If I’m driving or sleeping my scheduled posts are uploaded. You can start with free versions of these tools till you feel the need to upgrade. 6. Start learning a new skill or something. As you would expect I recommend writing ie if you are not writing already. But there are many other skills, especially digital skills to learn for free. Email and social media marketing, graphic design, copywriting, public

Blog, Resources

From Wasting Time Online To Productivity.

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Are you like a normal person struggling to maximise your productivity by managing the hours you spend online? Read this! I grew up on a farm outside of Nokia, Finland and spent most of my days outside in the dirt. If that name sounds familiar to you, it’s because in Nokia the early cellphone company of the same name was born. My family got a computer when I was fairly young, and soon, I spent much of my time playing a soccer game on our computer instead of actually, you know, playing soccer. Eventually, my parents put their foot down. They forced me off the computer and insisted I spend more time outside. And while I was annoyed at the time, in retrospect I wouldn’t trade those childhood years on the farm for anything. As I grew up and started working in corporate jobs, I naturally found myself in front of a computer screen more often than I liked. After a while, I decided I didn’t want to be glued to a screen all waking hours. And I know a lot of people feel this way, too. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with our devices. We depend on them for so much—keeping up with loved ones, navigating new cities, connecting with clients, and remembering meetings. Yet we feel powerless to disconnect. We fear that if we’re not online at all times, we’ll miss something important. This can be especially true of business leaders or startup founders, who feel the weight of our companies on our shoulders. As a company leader myself, I nonetheless make a point to spend only 15 hours a week on my computer—max—which makes me feel more productive, efficient, and creative. Here’s why I cut my screen time down and how you can benefit from it too: We’re all online well past the point of productivity. Americans spend nearly half the day interacting with our smartphones. Whether it’s binge-watching the latest show, shopping for home decor, or scrolling through yet another album of baby pictures on social media, we are living more and more of our lives in the digital world. The fact that we’re connected 24/7 has also changed the way we work. In the office, we feel like being a good employee means always being available and connected. One of the most toxic myths we tell ourselves is that being online more equates to more productivity. The ability to connect with coworkers and clients may seem conducive to getting work done, but it’s often extremely distracting. You can be deep in a flow state on a project, and suddenly, you’re interrupted by a Slack message or email. The message isn’t urgent, yet you find yourself compelled to respond anyway. Once your focus is broken, it’s hard to get back. When you really analyze what you’re doing when you’re online, you’ll probably find that you’re wasting a lot of time. The only way to stop the internet from taking up all your time and concentration is to disconnect. When you unplug, you’ll get your focus back, and you’ll be less tempted to waste time on things like email, instant messaging, and social media. You’ll also gain the added benefit of reduced eye strain and improved sleep—as the blue light from our screens interferes with our body’s circadian rhythms. There’s a (limited) time and a place to toil away on your devices, and it isn’t all day every day. Disconnecting is easier than you think. Being online less sounds difficult, but it’s not nearly as hard as it seems. A helpful trick I started doing years ago was to install a time-tracker on my computer, which allows me to see how much time I’ve spent online each week. Every Friday afternoon, I examine the hours and compare. Say this week I spent seven hours on the computer, and last week I spent 13. Did I feel better or worse? Did I get more done? Once I started auditing myself, I figured out that about 15 hours my sweet spot—but it’s different for everyone. Examine your habits carefully. If you feel like you’re wasting time online, figure out how to maximize efficiency. One way to do this is the Pomodoro Method. Crafted by Francesco Cirillo in 1992, this method involves the following steps: Choose a task to be accomplished Set your timer to 25 minutes Work on the task until the timer rings, then put a checkmark on your sheet of paper to denote the passage of a timer Take a short break (Five minutes is OK) Every four checkmarks, take a longer break The Pomodoro Method is a cyclical system. You work in short sprints, which makes sure you’re consistently productive. You also get to take regular breaks that bolster your motivation and keep you creative. Once you experience the benefits of strategically logging off, you won’t look back. The most important work takes place off-screen. As the founder of Four Sigmatic, I get paid to think about big picture stuff—like product development, strategy, branding, and communicating with clients and my team. Most of these tasks don’t require a computer to do well. When you’re on a computer, you’re more likely to be consuming than creating. So much of what’s online isn’t valuable—it’s just clutter. And if you’re reading too much of it you don’t have space for creativity and original thought. Creating something new as a founder requires effective communication with the people helping you build it. And ultimately, the most high-impact way to communicate is in-person. If you can’t meet face-to-face, then video chat is your next best bet. After that, a phone call. Text and email just aren’t as productive. After all, you can be emailing and texting all day and getting nothing across. If you’re going to be online, make sure it’s only to do what’s necessary and move the more important stuff off-screen. When you take a good, hard look at your relationship with technology and strategize a way to make

Blog, FEATURES, Lifestyle

Success Journey XXI: On ‘Cruise’

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When you’re on a computer (screen) you’re more likely to be consuming than creating. So much of what’s online isn’t valuable — it’s just clutter. And if you’re reading too much of it you don’t have space for creativity and original thought. ~Tero Isokauppila As I’ve come to understand it, cruise is the local parlance Nigerians use to describe ‘having fun’ online. It can be anything really and for clarity let me say here that it is not trolling. The former is usually to elicit a response while the latter is usually a response. Most people troll others for attention, revenge, and in my case sadism. It can be part of cruise but it is actually worse. It is idiocy. Yes, you read right, idiocy, that’s what it is. After reading Gary Bishop’s Unf*ck Yourself I decided to communicate in a more relatable manner. Now back to cruise. You wake up and see nothing better to do and you decide to post some bullsh*t for traction..cruise! You see a caption and post your warped opinion without reading through the details..cruise! You post nonsense to malign a person, group, or tribe…cruise! You post a pornographic thread to attract attention to the rubbish you intend to market..cruise! You post a claim that contradicts studies and well-researched positions from authorities…cruise! The examples are endless and most of us are guilty of this. We post nonsense that can’t be rationally defended and we call it cruise. It is not. It is silly and unproductive and it’s time to curtail your cruise. We have a responsibility to make cyberspace and by extension society a better place by putting out useful, positive content. I know our online activities are often reflex actions as we practically live on the internet these days. Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t be controlled gradually and with time eliminated entirely if we so desire. Consider the time and words you waste in catching cruise. If you spend over 3 hours daily arguing over trivial issues on social media like the average African, it means you likely waste about 1–2k words daily. Those words can be put to better use for a story, an article, or even a novel. Hemmingway wrote only 500 words daily and that is when he has a project. Guess what? It usually takes him about 4 hours! Think about the time we waste too. Time is the most valuable and irreplaceable resource that can be used to learn something new and helpful. Choose a skill and start learning it. Learn a second language or learn graphic design, video editing etc. Just start learning something that will help you create rather than consume. No knowledge gained is lost and there are many online resources that offer free and affordable knowledge acquisition. I always use myself as an example. Now check this out. If you write 1500 words weekly you would have written a 200-page draft in one year. In January 2022, I started writing this series with the aim of churning out enough to publish a book by the end of the year. If you aim for the sky and hit an eagle that is considered bullseye in every measure. I’ll be damned if I don’t have at least a draft by the end of 2023. So you see, it’s achievable. Also, in the last month or so that I left Facebook, I started the Adobe Indesign course. It’s a 16-week online course but I’m already halfway through. I attribute this to having more time and it’s likely the course designers considered time wasted online in setting the course duration. Either way, it’s a win-win for me. I should add that certification to my portfolio in a month’s time. I am not saying you quit entirely but I said curtail. Moreover, we can’t possibly drop habits like this entirely. It’s just like asking me to stop elbow bending. Impossible! I will drink but moderation will always be the key. There are no shortcuts to these things as old habits die hard but with gradual additions, we can considerably replace them with new ones. It won’t be easy but it’s doable. After all, anything that comes easy is usually not worthwhile. So come on, give it a shot. Not later, not tomorrow but now.

Opinion Articles, Writers

Online, Offline And Real-life Realities by Chukwuemeka Oluka.

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In a pre-digital era, my teacher told me pigeons and telegraphs were the means available for communication. Today, keyboards and computers have turned things around immensely. Living a digital life has made a self-supporting life a huge reality. It has also unleashed myriads of issues that have altered the collective sense of reality. I spend a great deal of my day online, and the type of life I’m living today would not have been possible, say 20 years ago. My identity is undeniably intertwined with my digital presence. While a negative presence has proven to have adverse effects, a positive digital presence has significantly benefitted my life. In this essay, I shall discuss how my digital presence has influenced my life in reality, while suggesting ways of optimizing life both online and offline. First things first; what does digital presence connote for a person? One’s ‘digital presence’ or ‘online presence’ is the collective existence of an individual, found online via searches. An individual’s online presence can come via his or her website, social media channels, online publications, memberships to associations listed online, and so on [1]. The impact of an individual having a digital presence is hugely positive. And this is only a taste of what the internet, and technological breakthroughs in general, provides. Positive Impacts… There is almost no area in which digital technology and connectivity have not impacted my life. It has become like oxygen, utterly essential to my daily routine. I have more flexibility and can work from home. My reading culture has exploded exponentially too. I have been able to be connected to the largest library ever — the internet. From e-books to blockbuster novels; all can be downloaded just by a tap of the keyboard. Everything I read online presents an opportunity to learn a new thing and explore new frontiers of ideas. My digital presence has also made me traverse geographical coordinates, making friends in the process — close friends with whom I communicate frequently. We have never met in person nor spoken over the phone. With the digital presence which internet connectivity provides, I can more easily keep in regular contact with friends in distant places. I can now maintain a relationship with that ‘babe,’ and I can take it to a deep and interactive nature if I want, via social media. Keeping a family messaging group chat openly with my parents and siblings on WhatsApp, I certainly remain very connected. No day passes without some communication amongst us despite our dispersed locations. Though this interaction does not replace phone calls and visits but complements them. Much as the Covid-19 pandemic has presented the world with a new normal, revolutionizing the way we travel and transact our daily routines, my digital devices and smartphone have enabled me to participate in many events and webinars organized in different countries without having to travel to them. Being a registered Engineer and member of our professional body, I can attend seminars and Engineering Assemblies from the comfort of my room, all thanks to the Zoom App. I have also participated in various online courses. The Negatives… While there are incredible benefits digital presence provides, I have become a victim of its negative effects. For instance, I’ve lost count of the number of times I have received requests for urgent 2k (N2,000). Some don’t hesitate to brandish their bank account numbers in the process. I always shudder because I have had an intense battle with interview frustrations and finding a decent and steady job; yet, a few have the erroneous conception that I was doing well already and maybe working in an oil company. Sadly, this is a result of how I have portrayed myself in WhatsApp statuses alongside Instagram and Facebook posts. Unknown to me, I have presented myself in the way I’d like to be seen, without knowing that it was somewhat deceptive. Much as Real-time chat and messenger apps have helped me connect with people, the habit of placing a phone call across and talking about things in a meaningful way is gradually being eroded. Inadvertently, I have gotten so used to my mobile phone that it’s somewhat challenging for me to interact physically with others for some length of time. Little wonder I barely look at people in the eye these days when I am speaking to them. This is all because I have become accustomed to real-time interactions over the internet, so much so that maintaining eye contact when talking to people physically, becomes problematic. I’ve also become addicted to typing and writing in short words. Meanwhile, I am worried that Facebook and Twitter are making me fall for the increasing social anxieties present in society today. Yet, I realize that social media is as destructive as they are potentially beneficial in their acceleration of communications, but I rarely seem to get a break. This development may have propelled veteran Nigerian actor, Yul Edochie to say in a tweet; ‘Many youths are under a lot of pressure these days. Sadly, it’s not the pressure to achieve; but the pressure to look like they are achieving. And social media is largely responsible for it. [2]’ Sincerely, I cannot agree more, because I am already a victim of this reality. As a result of my digitally-mediated lifestyle, I now suffer from a serious behavioural addiction that makes it pretty much impossible to pay attention to my spiritual life. I seemingly lack the discipline not to look at messenger apps or monitor the cryptocurrency graph before bed and first thing upon waking. I cringe at how many emails, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter notifications I already have waiting for me to attend to. Regrettably, the need to keep up takes away from my time in ways that I forget to pray and meditate. Another bad effect of my digital presence is that I spend huge hours in front of a computer screen and mobile (phone) screen either communicating, writing, or searching for information. The consequence for me physically is

Opinion Articles, Writers

My Online Life by Johnson Onyedikachi.

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Under that burning heat in June, I sat on the last seat on the bus Literally steaming, Bursting at the seams with impatience, As the internet crawled slower With each passing minute We rode into a no-network area And I wondered when she Would get my text… It was our desperate love In the shaky hands of the internet! Once, I saw an article about the remaining parts of the Earth that are still a bit more analog — by this I mean that there are very few or no mobile masts in the locales therein listed — and the question I had on the tip of my tongue was: Are there people living in those places? Despite sufficient evidences that there are such people, terrene as much as I, who do not have and have never had any access to the modern comforts the digital space has to offer, I shudder at the thought of such primitive life. Sometimes, in my wild manner of reasoning, I have thought of the internet, which of course is one of the numerous results of conscious digital efforts in our contemporary world, to be an entire parallel universe with all of its own uniqueness and complexities which I am to grow into, understand, and harness with an even more productive life in view. Fact is: there is too much one misses out on if one does not conform to the transmutations the world is undergoing, chief of which is a massive technological thrust. I am going to trust my memory to say that my earliest attempts to have a life on the digital trajectory, a way of life made more popular with each breaking day, was in 2011 when I opened a Facebook account. As laughable as it sounds, I hadn’t a phone at the time, but I had heard of the miracles that happen online, how connection is made as easy as snapping one’s fingers and as quick as a reflex action. I created an account on Facebook on a friend’s phone, and I recall having to frequent his house to have access to that account, to have access to the second world I had, or better still, was putting together with my own hands. Hence, I could say that I have had ten years of consciously engendering a digital presence for myself, creating accounts with several other tech innovations as soon as I come across them. Furthermore, I could take a debatable stance that any ten years of labor is prized by the laborer; nothing else could have as much influence on him as such a work. On my part, and as for influence, my life online has a noteworthy influence on any other aspect of my life you would like to examine. There had been days that I woke up to devastating news — and by this I mean a couple of heart-wrenching, upsetting news on my online feed that directly have an effect on me; from friends I have made online, family whom I am connected to, pages I follow, and not necessarily headlines from local or national media outlets — and the rest of the day would cave in against a backdrop of melancholy, euphoria, or excitement, depending on the form of information I received. As a writer, my online presence, I have found, seems to tower unchallenged over other presences I have. In fact, several people who know I write online do not know me in person, and this reality begs the question: if I hadn’t an online presence, would I have had their readership? This, too, is an influence. It is the very reason why both of my online and offline lives, despite distinct, are interlocked, and cannot really have separate existences. Writing, for me, has been an enjoyable experience ever since I melded it in some sort of holy matrimony with my digital life. One of the beliefs I have is that anyone can be a writer, but for one to write something that others would find binge-worthy, one needs to be a voracious reader. And this belief has become my culture, my religion, in which I can call myself devout. I read as much as I write, and with this progressive persuasion of mine, I am caught up with the challenge of having books I wish to read more than I have the resources to afford. Albeit, the relief technology promises and makes available is nearly endless. So, I have grown accustomed to having soft copies of the works of my favorite writers from all around the world on my phone and personal computer and almost at no cost at all. This, too, is an influence from my digital presence. However, just as any other application in life, technology comes with as much drawbacks as benefits. Over the years, we have had reasons to blame the abject upheavals of our social and cultural dispositions on the ragingly continuous whirlwind of digital growth, and these reasons justify themselves. Within the cadre of our morality, decadence is increasingly festering; whole governments are implementing bans that prevent the use of most of our digital creations with a firm stance that such comforts are just too good for this age. In all of these events, it seems that we are coming closer to the unfortunate conclusion that life before technology was far more comforting. However, while I agree with such a conclusion to a fair extent, I still believe that the major cause of the terrors of digital life now is that we tend to lose our humanity in it. Earlier, I explained that I find my life online to be an entire universe — a world, yes, but one that cannot really have an independent existence of its own — and our failure to see it as such, I postulate, bedevils us. If I find a preacher, speaking of the evils of the social media in that nothing in it is as real as it seems, I would definitely agree with him on that note given several evidences

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