| The National

The online space is making us all selfish. Or, at least, that’s what you’d believe if you absorb much of the commentary that exists on the subject. There are even scientific studies linking social media with rising levels of self-obsession. This year, a team at the University of Michigan found that students who score higher on certain measures of narcissism also post more frequently on social media sites such as Twitter.

And admit it: from your personal experience, it adds up, right? We’ve all got friends who post rarely on social media and even more rarely about themselves. Then we’ve got those friends who’ll post 15 times before breakfast, and always about themselves (and their new haircut, their hilarious pet, their holiday). And it’s the latter group that tends to have the largest and most devoted clique of Facebook friends or Twitter followers. Case proven: social media rewards vanity and self-obsession.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The digital utopians who helped lay the foundations of online culture dreamt of a world in which the network would radically push back the boundaries of our sense of community and shared purpose.

Instant, always-on connection to other people, anywhere in the world, would demolish the barriers that prevent us from empathising with others in faraway places. The global village could be a place where everyone understood and cared about everyone else.

Is there still time for that dream to become a reality? Well, perhaps. Now, a spate of start-ups are working on digital tools that can help us give to others. Take Shout, an app launched in July that allows users to make micro-donations – the cost of a cup of coffee, or a newspaper – to various social causes. Shout’s founders hope that by making giving an easy part of everyday life, they can aggregate the micro-donations of millions of people and end up making a big difference.

Thinking along similar lines are the founders of Feedie, an app that allows New York residents to indulge their love of food photography (I know you’ve got a friend who photographs every meal; we all do) and donate to charity at the same time. Every time a user of the app takes a snap of their meal, participating restaurants will donate the equivalent of one meal to the Feedie non-profit, which provides food to children in South Africa.

A sure sign that digital giving is a trend to watch? Even the tech giant Google is getting involved: in April it trialed an app called One Today, which allows users to donate a dollar a day to a curated list of good causes.

All these digital tools embody a neat idea: that we can take the way that smartphones and the online space have woven themselves around our lives and use that to transform charitable giving. For the first time ever, we have instant connection to others – and to our bank accounts – right in our pocket. And that means giving can become as easy and habitual as stopping off for a morning coffee.

It’s a step forward. And it could transform the fortunes of some deserving causes. Of course, an even greater change will come when truly global access to the net transforms the life chances of those currently disenfranchised from the global economy.

But until then, why not Shout someone a coffee today?

David Mattin is the lead strategist at trendwatching.com

• For more trends, go to www.thenational.ae/trends

artslife@thenational.ae

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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

I Care A Lot

Directed by: J Blakeson

Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage

3/5 stars

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GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
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57%20Seconds

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THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312