grumpyf1

It's not me, it's you... Beware the Smartphone Zombies! We’ve all bumped in to them – often literally – those expressionless, hunched, figures, shuffling blindly along the pavements of the world, so hypnotised by the glow of their phone screens, that they are oblivious to other pedestrians. Maybe you’re one yourself, and have either dipped into the physical world because your battery died, there’s no signal or for a spot of paper-based nostalgia. Or you’re reading this on your phone. High on the list of online distractions are the myriad forms of social media. Whether you are transfixed by Twitter, immersed in Instagram or fulfilled by Facebook, many of us spend more time interacting online than in real life – with the associated concerns about damage to mental health, bullying, grooming, fake news and all the other potential downsides of interacting online. If you, or your loved ones, seem to be spending unhealthy amounts of time online, then perhaps an announcemen...

It’s comforting to know that there is one less threat to the people of Cumbria this week, following the conviction of white supremacist, Ethan Stables. The 20 year old from Barrow had planned to attack the town’s New Empire pub in June 2017, in the midst of a gay pride event. Despite social media posts saying he was “going to war” and planning to “slaughter”, online searches about how to make bombs and chemical poisons, and expressing hatred of Muslims, Jews and gay people, he claimed his online comments were merely to impress far-right friends. Fortunately, following Facebook posts about his intentions, the police were tipped off and armed officers intercepted him as he headed towards the pub. His aim was to kill anyone he found, with a machete. In a bizarre slip-up, Stables had erroneously added an innocent woman to his neo-Nazi Facebook group. When he vented his outrage at the Furness LGBT support group’s event, the shocked woman contacted the authorities. He’ll have ple...