By Joe Hofbauer
“Oh God! My eyes!” I screamed as I fell to my knees clutching my face. The sun laughed mercilessly and continued to blind me with its powerful beams of light. Well, that’s what I get for having my face glued to a monitor the whole weekend.
Technology has been on this planet since the beginning of man, from the pointy wooden sticks used as spears by our early ancestors to having nanobots injected into white blood cells to help fight cancer. We all know there is no stopping the forward progress that our past generations have laid before us, yet with technology on the rise, most humans are beginning to fall.
How much time do we waste on our phones, computers, or just watching TV? Did you know going outside and taking in a deep breath will actually improve your focus and help clear your mind? Did you know the closer you live to nature, the healthier you are likely to be?
In 2009 the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health published some pretty solid findings. The study took 345,143 Dutch people’s medical records, assessing them for 24 conditions including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. Scientists then correlated the records with how much green space was located within 1 km and 3 km of each subject’s postal code. People who lived close to a park or wooded area experienced less anxiety and depression than those who lived further away from green space.
Most of our society’s common practices are now piled indoors either on the computer, watching TV, on our phones or just playing video games. We all must enjoy a little mindless indulgence once in a while. Nothing’s wrong with that.
I can hear some of you thinking quietly, “We’ve got another hippie with an opinion, great.” I have nothing wrong with the advancements of technology. The fact that you can instantly call anyone anywhere in the world with the touch of a button is incredible. I’m just as guilty of slothing as much time on the interwebs as my fellow n00bs, but there must be moderation.
You’ll never know what you may find on your way unless you go, so take a chance and get out there.
Contact Joe Hofbauer, reporting correspondent, at jhofbaue@jccc.edu.