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Become a partnerAt WiredScore, we believe that connectivity and productivity are interlinked. We know that connectivity is both central to how we work today, and will be an increasingly critical part of the future. Statistics report that, in the UK, we spend over eight hours a day on the internet, and we are seemingly conscious of those hours. They are mostly made up by our desk work, communication and streaming content. But are we fully aware of our relationship with the internet and the reliance on it in our daily lives? We decided to find out.
On Wednesday 12th of February 2020, a group of tech and property professionals ‘unplugged’ from the internet.
The purpose of the Unplugged Challenge was to highlight our dependency on being connected and investigate whether there is a disparity between our conscious and unconscious use of the internet.
Initial feedback for the challenge was mixed, with feelings of ‘anxiety’ leading the way. Nevertheless, much to our surprise, the event proved to be a success with the majority of participants successfully completing the challenge. There were only a few hiccups on the way, including the discovery of “Apple automatically reconnecting your phone to known Wi-Fi networks”.
When we asked participants before what they would expect to miss the most they said emails and the use of a search engine. Unsurprisingly, these came out as the top two in the end. However, they were only ‘the tip of the iceberg’. As Richard Pickering from Cushman & Wakefield highlights;
“If you think about all the apps on your phone that are not going to work, the fact that you need to plan for meetings, access files remotely, share content in meetings, I think probably, I underestimated the extent to which those things are very much engrained to my day-to-day life.”
The lack of connectivity severely disrupted all parts of their days, with many referencing that the day became harder as a result. That had a visceral knock-on, with 91% of participants finding the day ‘stressful’, regardless of preparation. A massive 95% concluded that ‘connectivity is essential’, and without it “doing a day-to-day job just wouldn’t be feasible”.
Most interestingly, the results showed we spend far more time unaware that we are connected to the internet or relying on it for activities. These included finding our way around, paying for things and use of devices such as office entry apps or Alexa in the home.
The day also yielded important, positive personal findings as people noted the amount of distraction because of smartphones and their reliance on social media. If there was a consensus that the internet was vital, then there was clearly a trend towards re-evaluating the relationships we have with the tools that access the internet.
As the level of connectivity only grows, this can only be a good thing.
Discover how important connectivity is to occupiers in London and see what WiredScore can do on our YouTube channel.
First celebrated in 1911 across Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark – the initial idea of marking a day to celebrate women across the globe came from a woman called Clara Zetkin. It was made official by the United Nations in 1975 and has been growing in momentum ever since.
This year, we are celebrating the women that have inspired us one way or another. The mothers, the grandmothers, friends, and peers, every single one of these women has had an impact on our lives one way or another, and today – we are bringing you a collection of stories and quotes of the women that have inspired the team here at WiredScore.
Marine
It might sound cheesy, but I think I have the best mom ever. Behind all the kindness and tenderness and her little cute voice, she is an incredibly tough woman who raised my sister and me to become strong, independent women.
During our childhood, she told us that we could do anything we want. Do you want to do kickboxing instead of dancing? Sure. There are only boys in your kickboxing class? Show them how strong you are and become the best in the class!
More recently, she pushed me to move into England to pursue the career I deserve and not settle for less. I would never have done it without her and my dad’s support.
My mum gave everything she had for her daughters, now it is her turn, and it’s time for my sister and me to give everything we have to support her in her career change, to push her to be a little selfish and think about her own happiness. She raised us to be strong and independent. This job is done, thank you, mum!
Ellena
I’m fascinated by Ruth Bader Ginsburg; she’s an artist for strategically advancing women’s rights.
She is very skilled at stating her points calmly and logically, making it difficult for opponents of her vision (both in the courtroom and the wider public) to derail the debate. In doing so, Ruth has continually increased her influence while avoiding the danger of being marginalised and silenced.
It would have been too easy for Ruth to have been dismissed by her peers as too disruptive, but her empathy and patience has instead allowed her to navigate through a hostile environment for over 50 years and make a lasting difference.
Another inspiration for me is Chidera Eggerue because she is perceptive and unapologetic in her views on equality. I find Ruth’s long term strategies interesting, but I am also really inspired by Chidera’s day to day unbridled championing of commonly overlooked groups. I look forward to checking her Instagram every morning.
Josie
Most recently I have been very inspired by our Director of Partnerships Cassandra Wheeldon. This is because she worked so hard through her pregnancy to ensure a successful handover for the team and to our clients.
Despite some days being in a lot of back pain and other things that come with pregnancy, Cassie never complained and came into the office, smiled and got through her work which was a real inspiration to me!
Maria
I have been most inspired by my great-grandmother who I had the privilege of having in my life until my mid 20’s. An incredible woman; kind, tough, intelligent and extremely mischievous.
There’s a story that’s told about her in our family. She was a young woman during WW2 in Estonia, a time when the country was split by war between Germany and Russia. At the age of 18, pregnant and mother to a toddler, she sent her husband off to war. Thanks to her charm and intelligence, she had become an integral member of the town council, advising the Russian soldiers on the happenings in her town, a job which allowed her to gain insight into the enemies’ plans.
She’d been liaising with a group of Estonian rebels on a plan to pass through the woods near her town with local men, women & children also in tow, escaping from the war. On the evening of the plan, she discovered that the Russian soldiers had heard rumours about the escape and were planning to investigate further. Quick thinking and courage on her side, she pretended her waters broke and went into pretend labour in an attempt to distract the soldiers. Thankfully she succeeded, and as a result, saved over 100 lives from death or deportation to Siberia. A pretty kick-ass woman if I say so myself.
Paris
Personally, my mum inspires me for not only raising me with the most important values and beliefs and never being a mum who expects me to be something I’m not, but also for her incredible work ethic and passion for what she does.
For the last twenty years, she has focused her career on helping the less privileged, which she does out of pure passion. Currently a Youth Worker, her job is at constant risk from funding cuts despite how vital and valuable her work is, and she has never had the financial stability or job security she would have if she had taken a different career path. She works unsociable hours in an often thankless job, but she always perseveres and goes above and beyond what is expected of her.
I know the impact my mum has had as she was recently nominated for an award in our borough Havering, and from the regular phone calls she gets from the young people she helps who see her as the first person they want to turn to when they are in need of help, or just a friendly chat.
Avi
My great aunt Herta Baitch – so, my grandfather’s brother’s wife – is one of the few living Holocaust survivors we still have. She was born in Austria and lost both her parents in the war.
She was lucky, one of 9 children chosen to go to the US in 1940, first to New York and then Baltimore, where my family is from and I grew up. She had a bit of a bad fall earlier this year but is doing much better after receiving rehab on her hip.
You can watch her story from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum below.