In this age of technology, we tend to spend more time in closed spaces than out in the open, being free. There’s a lot of distractions for the current generation, ranging from laptops (which I’m using to do this post), smart devices, televisions, game consoles, and a lot more. Our life has become dependent on technology, even I agree to that. But don’t we need some time out in the world experiencing nature?
You can find pictures of a flower online and see it in high definition, or even get a video of the same, but does it make up for the physical sight of a flower? The fragrance, the environment. A video can capture a lot of these elements, but isn’t it better to actually go out there and see it in person? Do you get complete satisfaction of a cheeseburger just by seeing a picture, or seeing someone else eat it? Isn’t first-hand experience important?
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Nature is an important factor in our lives, and the current generation is disconnected from it. We're running around, busy and stressed out by our day-to-day chores. I remember a poem from middle school which had a really interesting line: “What is this life, full of care. We have no time to stand and stare.” This poem was written in 1911, when we had no access to the Internet or any other of the time-consuming technologies we have today. But the validity of this poem in this world is remarkable, and something worth questioning.
Aren’t we all caught up with something in this world? Running behind pleasures, money, lust, so-called happiness. But running towards all this, we forget to take a moment and relax and enjoy what’s around us. Nature is conducting an orchestra every single day, and we barely seem to notice.
Freshman year of my college life was awesome, because I had a textbook titled “Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age,” which highlights the issue of the absence of nature in the present world. In fact, author Richard Louv, coined a new term, “nature-deficiency.” He talks about how the current world has the factor of nature missing from an early age. Lot of kids end up spending their childhood inside closed doors, playing simulated games instead of being outdoors interacting with nature. This gets reflected in later life in the form of stress and anxiety, which are currently clinically-accepted terms.
So, what's the solution to all this?
The answer is simple enough. Reconnect with nature. Consider nature your power outlet and the forms of recharging yourself. Nature is an unlimited source of power. When you're disconnected, you start losing your power, and you reach a point of shutdown. It's a scary concept, but it isn't necessary. Shutdown is basically the threshold for stress, and you end up feeling depressed. To regain your power, all you have to do is take a walk outside, observe the nature around you, feel the wind blow up against you. You regain the lost power slowly, and it stays on.
Now, I’m not saying throw away the technology. Do use it, but connect back with nature, as well. Take breaks away from your computer and look at the sheer beauty of the world outside. Nature is calling out to you. Are you listening?
