Less screen time and more sunshine

 

Hey you! Yeah, you — the one with the cellphone, tablet, or whatever computer screen you’re looking at. Do yourself a huge favor and turn it off and go outside (after you read this, of course).

Don’t take your device with you or at least don’t look at it for a while. Just bask in the sunlight and enjoy the beautiful world around you. It’s probably the best thing you can do on a regular basis to improve your mind and body.

We hear it all the time, less screen time and more sunshine. If you’re like me, however, it can be difficult to follow that advice. We’re slaves to our screens. From gigantic television screens to average computer screens to tiny cellphone screens, most of us spend an abnormal amount of time in a digital trance, oblivious to the real world around us.

When I was a kid, parents used to caution their children about watching too much TV. If they had known what we’re up against today, they may have taken a stronger stand. As a parent, I know I’ve failed my children by allowing them far too much screen time. I know it’s my fault because I fell victim to the glowing allure of digital distraction.

There is no telling how many years of my life I’ve lost on Facebook. I can’t get that time back. I can’t spend that time playing catch with my kids, teaching them how to fish, how to ride a bike, or watching them play sports. They’re grown and gone.

It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. We did Boy Scouts and church events together. We had a good life back then. But at home, I was more likely to spend an evening in front of my computer than I was engaging my kids in some kind of activity. During their early years I was diagnosed with moderate to severe depression. I dulled my pain digitally, mostly ignoring the advice of my doctors and therapists to go outside and move.

Over the years I’ve learned that exercise is essential to physical and mental health. Even if it’s just going for a walk, your body requires some kind of daily activity. Our bodies also need regular doses of sunlight to produce the vitamin D we need to survive. I was reminded of that the other day when my doctor looked at my blood test results and prescribed me vitamin D pills. Message received — more time in the garden coming up!

I joined the Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization several years ago when we were living in Rosenberg. I spent a lot of time at the park and frequently hiked the trails and did nature interpretation for visitors. You would be surprised at how many times I saw people focused on their phones, ignoring the natural beauty surrounding them. Even if they were not engaging their screens, they had earbuds in and were missing out on the melodious sounds of the birds, frogs, alligators and other animals at the park.

One of the observations my wife has made about me is that I’m generally more attentive and in a better mood after I’ve spent time physically active outdoors.

There are numerous studies out there that describe how bad screen time is for our mental health and development, especially for children. It leads to all kinds of anxiety, stress, relational problems and more. It also takes away from being physically active, which leads to obesity and numerous other health problems.

Children today have not learned to benefit from being bored. Constant entertainment kills creativity, curiosity and the ability to think and solve problems. They depend on the magic box in their hands to do that for them. That will only get worse the more advanced artificial intelligence becomes.

When I got bored as a kid, I drew pictures, built models, jumped on the trampoline, rode my bike, played games (not video games) with the other neighbor kids. We had fun and kept ourselves organically entertained and physically fit. We built lasting friendships and relationships.

We need to get back to that. So please, take this time to turn off whatever screen device you’re using and get out and enjoy life while you can. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at what a difference it makes for you, your family and your community.