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(Un texto de Marita Alonso en la revista Mujer de Hoy del 31 de julio de 2021)

Si no tienes amigos, alquílalos: nuevas formas de enfrentarte a la soledad. Descubre hasta dónde estamos dispuestos a llegar para huir de la soledad y si el dinero es (realmente) capaz de vencerla.

«En el siglo XXI, la soledad se ha transformado en una epidemia», comenta Billy Baker en We need to hang out (Simon & Schuster), una novela en la que el autor intenta hacer amigos y luchar contra la soledad mediante la actividad más solitaria del universo: la escritura. «La pandemia del coronavirus ha puesto imagen y voz a otra enfermedad más silenciosa que nos acompaña desde hace años y que no deja de crecer: la soledad. En la era de las redes sociales y de la hiperconectividad, son cada vez más los que se sienten solos», asegura Agustín Blanco, coordinador del Informe España 2020, que señala que tras la crisis del coronavirus, el 11 % de los encuestados asegura sentir una soledad grave. Antes de la pandemia, tan solo el 5,2% lo admitía. «La soledad y las conexiones sociales débiles se asocian con un descenso de la esperanza de vida similar al que causa fumar 15 cigarrillos diarios», advierte Vivek H. Murthy, ex cirujano y autor del libro Juntos: el poder curativo de la conexión humana en un mundo a veces solitario (Crítica).

Y ese hambre voraz de compañía ha generado una tendencia insospechada: los amigos de alquiler. Muchas personas han trasladado los mecanismos aprendidos en webs y aplicaciones como Idealista, Tinder o Glovo al negocio de la amistad, algo que hasta ahora pensábamos era un oxímoron. «Si buscas a alguien que te enseñe tu nueva ciudad o a un amigo que te acompañe a un evento social, Rent A Friend es perfecto para ti», explica Scott Rosenbaum, creador de una web con más de 300.000 amigos en alquiler. Aseguran que una de las preguntas más habituales es si se puede «alquilar a alguien» para hacerse fotos. Al parecer, la presión desencadenada por las redes sociales empuja a muchas personas a sentir la necesidad de alquilar amigos atractivos para subir contenidos. Pero, ¿de dónde viene este desesperado interés por encontrar a gente con la que fingir en Instagram una amistad (y felicidad) inexistente? «Cuando ya nos sentimos solos y vemos que otros se divierten en compañía y disfrutan del trato con los demás, hay una tendencia natural a retirarse, en vez de aproximarse al grupo. Tememos que nos etiqueten y juzguen como marginados sociales. Es decir, ocultamos nuestros verdaderos sentimientos incluso a aquellos que quizá intentarían conectar con nosotros».

«De este modo, la vergüenza y el temor conspiran para convertir la soledad en una condición que se perpetúa a sí misma, favorece las vacilaciones, reduce la autoestima y nos disuade de solicitar ayuda», explica el doctor Murthy en su libro. Alquifriend (por si el nombre no había desvelado ya la incógnita) sigue la mecánica de Rent a Friend. «Alquile un amigo para ir a un evento o fiesta, aprender una nueva habilidad o pasatiempo, conocer gente nueva o mostrar la ciudad», indican. A partir de 5 euros la hora (aclaran que los precios son negociables), puedes disfrutar de un amigo. Ambas webs se esfuerzan por señalar que únicamente ofrecen amistad para que los usuarios tengan muy en cuenta que no se trata de una dating app. Dentro de este campo, Bumble BFF sí cuenta con una función específica para hacer amigos. «Se creó al ver que muchas personas no buscaban romances, sino amistad. La gente añadía en sus perfiles frases como «No estoy aquí para tener una cita» o «Busco a alguien para salir de fiesta» en sus biografías. El año pasado, nos dimos cuenta de que muchas personas se sumaron a Bumble BFF para crear conexiones durante la pandemia. La gente busca compañía para entrenar al aire libre, sacar al perro o, simplemente, para quedar y conversar», explican. «Hemos visto un incremento de interés a lo largo del año pasado. Durante los tres primeros meses de 2021, el tiempo que las mujeres pasan en Bumble BFF ha aumentado un 44%, mientras que el de los hombres ha aumentado un 83%. Esto indica que a medida que las ciudades se reabren, estamos preparados para conocer gente nueva y reactivar nuestra vida social. Sabemos que hacer amigos a cierta edad es un reto, y los usuarios dicen que la app facilita el proceso», comenta Tariq Shaukat, presidente de Bumble BFF.

Etiquetas: Cosas veredes

(A text read on Daily Telegraph on 30th May, 2015)

This bizarre new craze was sweeping the internet [in 2015]. But what is this Ouija-board inspired game
about?

A strange new game is taking over Twitter, fuelled by speculation that its players can connect with a
dead Mexican spirit known as Charlie.

The Charlie Charlie Challenge has been played by thousands of young people after a number of
videos purported to show supernatural goings-on. 

The game entails placing two pencils on a piece of paper in the shape of the cross with the words
'yes' and 'no'. Participants then repeat the phrase "Charlie, Charlie can we play?" in order to connect
with the demon. If Charlie is there the pencils will move to indicate his answer.

One reddit user believes he has uncovered a full explanation of the game: "The best explanation I have found is here.

You’ve probably heard of using a Ouija board to contact spirits, but I bet you haven’t heard of using
pencils to have your questions answered by supernatural beings! The Pencil Game, also called “Charlie, Charlie,” is a traditional Mexican ritual wherein players (usually children) are said to contact the spirit of a child named Charlie.

To play The Pencil Game, you will need six pencils and a partner. Facing each other, each person must hold three pencils and arrange them as three sides of a box, with the open end facing the other person. It is best to use unsharpened pencils, or to hold the tips so that the eraser ends are pointed toward your partner. The ends of your pencils will need to touch your partner’s to form a complete rectangle.

To begin the game, both players must chant: “Charlie, Charlie, can we play?” If the pencils move inward or up, the answer is yes. If they move outward or down, the answer is no. If one side goes one way and the other side goes a different way, it means maybe or the question can’t be answered at this time. You can then ask the spirit of Charlie yes or no questions, and he will respond by moving the pencils. Charlie is kind of like the spirit world version of a Magic 8 ball. To end the game, both players must chant: “Charlie, Charlie, can we stop?” After the pencils move, both players drop all of the pencils on the floor to break contact with Charlie."

Needless to say the reaction to the craze has been mixed.

Etiquetas: Cosas veredes

Even though the Rozina Sabur's article is quite old (I read it on Daily Telegraph on 23rd May, 2015), It's still funny. What I don't know is whether it's still valid :-)

The DVLA has revealed its entire catalogue of forbidden car number plates - including some amusing selections as well as surprising omissions. 

It seems motorists can drive a PEN15, but not a VA61ANA, and while BL03 JOB is forbidden ORG45M is fine.

The list of personalised plates the DVLA believes to be in poor taste runs to 46 pages and includes religious or homophobic words. It has barred drivers from taking to Britain's roads in a vehicle carrying personalised plates spelling out rude words or potentially offensive messages.

When it comes to religious number plates, JE55US and AL14LAH are banned, but last week KR15HNA – referringto the Hindu god Krishna - was sold for £233,000.

For the 2015 registration year, the DVLA's censors have already refused a large number of plates, including P15 OFF, PR15 SON, UP15 BUM and WA15 TED as well as more explicit combinations.
Swathes of offensive plates are banned every six months as the new plates appear. Some combinations of letters are banned regardless of what numbers are put in between, with any variation of AB** USE, AL** ALH, CO** CKS and BA** STD among the forbidden five letter combinations.

But the 46-page list also includes some surprise entries, from GU11 LTY to AL60 POP, and any variation of AN** GER, BL** OOD, BO** MBS or BU** LLY.

Yet dealer RegTransfers anticipates the PEN 15 plate will draw in bids over £100,000.

The driving licensing agency's list emerged after a man from the Midlands with the surname Islam applied for the ‘15LAM’ plate but was told it was “inappropriate”. The man, who did not want to give his first name, told the Guardian: “I’m not particularly religious, but I am proud of my name. I was thinking of buying the plate as a gift for my brother. To be told that my name is offensive is really upsetting.”

Yet despite the ban on 15LAM, the registration of M014MED is expected to fetch significantly more than £100,000 at auction. MR51 NGH (Mr Singh) sold for £101,050 in 2006.

Angela Banh of RegTransfer said: “Some rude plates do occasionally slip through the DVLA net. PEN 15 was released many years ago. BO11 LUX was also released in 2011, then withdrawn, but the owner took on the DVLA and it is now back on the roads.”

Potentially offensive number plates are taken seriously at the DVLA after the release of H8 GAY in 2006 prompted a storm of protest. It was later withdrawn after an MP and members of the public complained that it could be understood to say ‘Hate gay’.

Several other combinations which could be construed as homophobic slurs were also withdrawn from auction following complaints from gay rights charity Stonewall.

The DVLA said it removed the plates if it believes it is “likely to cause general offence or embarrassment”. "The DVLA has a propriety steering group which meet at least twice a year to review the appropriateness of registration numbers,” said a DVLA spokesman. "This is made up of a diverse group of individuals who consider new releases and revisit registration marks already held on the suppression list. "Registration numbers are withheld in instances where if displayed on a number plate they are likely to cause general offence or embarrassment. The reasons can be on the grounds of political, racial and religious sensitivities or simply that they are regarded as being in poor taste."

If a plate is released that later provokes complaints, the DVLA has the power to force the driver to hand the number back to the agency. In the last financial year, the DVLA raised more than £105million fpr the Treasury from the sale and auction of personalised registrations. The most ever paid for a registration from DVLA was for ’25 O’, which alone raised more than £518,000.

Etiquetas: Surrealismo cotidiano