The well-known and loved adorable Disney movie, "WALL-E", may be fiction, but the human dystopia displayed in the film is frighteningly similar to our society today in 2016. Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures released the movie, "WALL-E" in 2008, giving us eight years to become the future that Disney predicted through a cute rusty robot named WALL-E. So, without further ado, here are nine signs that the fiction movie "WALL-E" is becoming our reality.
1. Waste and pollution
Believe it or not, pollution is one of leading causes of human death worldwide. Research suggests that over three million children under the age of five die from environmental factors, including pollution. It's time to consider what kind of world we are passing on to the next generation. Additionally, pollution is harmful to our animals, killing one million seabirds and 100 million mammals every year. How do we stop this? The first step is to be conscientious of how much waste we produce and how it is affecting our world. Systems such as recycling and composting make a big difference and can make an even bigger difference with spreading the word. Go out into your community and start advocating for the health of the earth today!
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2. Stretchy clothing
I bet nine times out of ten you choose leggings over jeans. I also bet you have been tempted by the infomercials for pajama jeans. There's nothing wrong with being comfy on a casual day, but make sure you aren't letting these new fashion trends be the only thing you wear.
3. Eyes on the screen
Have you ever been texting a really important message and ran smack into a wall? This is exactly what I'm talking about here, guys. Checking your phone or using a laptop is not a bad thing, but take interest in the world around you. Also, instead of snapchatting every second of a concert, party, or exciting experience, put the phone down and live in the moment. Your friends will not be deeply upset that you did not document your entire life on Snapchat for them to watch.
4. Food on demand
We are not quite to "WALL-E level" on this one, but we are getting close. Our ancestors once had to slave over a fire to heat up their homegrown or home-hunted meal. Today, we have the convenience of sitting in the car waiting in a drive through, or not even having to leave home with the invention of the delivery boy. We are beating the humans showed in "WALL-E" on this one, but probably not for long.
5. Obesity
I love that society is working to decrease body shaming and encourage people to love their bodies, but I think we need to be careful with this message. Body positivity is awesome, but being morbidly obese is not. Obesity is correlated with multiple medical conditions that can ultimately result in death. Love your body enough to want to improve it.
6. Please be seated
Sit too much and one day you will realize that you can't stand anymore. Desks jobs are the main cause of this issue. There is not much we can do about it during work hours, but if you sit all day, try not to come home and sit all evening in front of the television. Stop by the gym after work or get out for a walk if it's nice out.
7. Facetime rather than face-to-face
Many conversations take place via technology rather than face-to-face. This is more of an issue for children than adults because children's interpersonal skills are not fully developed at their age. This means kids are missing out on learning important social and conversational skills. If you have ever had a conversation with a child, you know that they tend to interrupt you frequently. At a young age, this is normal as they are still developing communication skills. However, how can we expect children to learn how to converse properly if 90% of their conversations take place through text messages? It's time to start using our real voices
8. Indoor only
Humans were meant to be outdoors. Don't get me wrong, it is important to have shelter from the sun and the snow; however, it is also important to be out in the sun. According to the National Wildlife Federation, the average American child spends only 30 minutes outdoors, and more than seven hours indoors in front of a screen. Being outdoors increases Vitamin D levels, which promotes healthy bones and a healthy heart. Natural settings also decrease risks for ADHD and decrease stress levels. Being outdoors is as much a human need as shelter is.
9. Flashy and shiny trumps green and leafy
Truth be told, this image of the world in "WALL-E" is not too far-fetched from the society we have created today. We, humans, are frighteningly close to becoming the population that "WALL-E" depicts.
The one difference between the humans in "WALL-E" and us
If you have ever watched "WALL-E", you know that the central plot of the story is that a plant is found on earth signifying that earth is now safe to return to. My point is, the humans depicted in "WALL-E" recognize the importance of plants even though it took them moving into space to realize it. We do not. We mindlessly throw away our plastic water bottles rather than recycling, and we cut down trees for paper because we don't care. We dump millions of pounds of waste into the ocean every year and never think twice about it. We ignore the issue because we don't want to give up our convenient plastic bottles and styrofoam plates. We are killing the earth, and the scariest part is, it will probably take a catastrophe like "WALL-E" for us to take notice and start changing the way we live.
