Too much is not a good thing in this case
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I believe our society could be in trouble. I witnessed an example that points to coming issues within our society a few days back.
Jamie Gardner
Our dog had a medical issue, and I had to take him to our veterinarian in a neighboring community. After leaving the vet’s office, I stopped at a little convenience store to grab a drink. As I approached the front of the building, I noticed an older lady sweeping around the front door. She appeared to be in her late 60s, maybe early 70s. Then I walked through the door and noticed three teenage girls behind the counter. All three were in a trance, gazing at their cell phone screens, probably on a social media platform. I don’t think the girl at the register even acknowledged that I entered the store.
I visited the restroom at the store, found my drink item, and proceeded to the register. The older lady had moved inside the building and was sweeping the floor. The three young ladies were still in a daze on their phones with the occasional discussion amongst themselves about something one or the other was seeing on their feed.
When I approached the register, one of the young ladies appeared to be aggravated because she had to put her phone down to wait on me. I purposely didn’t say a word. She told me the amount, I gave her the money, and she handed me change back. There was no “thank you” or “have a great day.” She picked her phone back up and returned to her trance.
Are you like me and seeing this more and more? The older generation is still having to work hard, while the younger generation sits on their backsides staring mindlessly at their screens. I felt bad for the older lady and wanted to go take the broom from her and hand it to the disrespectful brats behind the counter.
We (myself included), have got to get back to instilling the value of hard work in younger generations. Get these kids (and some adults) off their phones. Social media and some games are extremely habit-forming and seem to consume individuals. Put the phone down for a while and pay attention to your surroundings.
Too much screen time can lead to weight gain and obesity, contribute to sleep problems, eye strain, and even musculoskeletal issues. It has also been reported that too much time spent on your cell phone can cause mood disorders, attention problems, and behavioral issues.
How can you limit your child’s, or your own screen time? Simply stop and be mindful of how much time you spend daily on your phone. Teach yourself to step away and take a break. One thing that can help is to turn off notifications on your phone that are not needed. You don’t need to know every single time someone likes one of your social posts, do you? How about laying the phone down and just having a normal conversation, face-to-face, with a person?
The International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction states evidence suggests that chronic sensory stimulation via excessive exposure to screen time may affect brain development in negative ways. Excessive smartphone usage may increase the risk of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders in adolescents and young adults that also has the potential to increase the risk of early-onset dementia in late adulthood. That should be enough to make all of us want to curb our screen time.
I fear that if something doesn’t change soon with the work ethic in this country, we are doomed. Laziness is at the root of the problem, but I do believe that distractions from smartphones are also a contributing factor to what we are seeing in society. Again, maybe it’s past time to put the phones down some, pick up the broom, and help the older lady sweep the floor.
