Self-involvement and promotion of one’s physical well-being and body image.
It is encouraging to see many people of all ages go to the gym to strive to live a healthier lifestyle. I see many parents who come to the gym to keep their kids active and fit. The impact of healthy living not only promotes their well-being, but also their outlook on themselves, which I think people need more of during this time and age of entertainment and media.
Parent-child or caretaker-cared-for relationship
Over the past few months (that I have been at home), I’ve noticed that the parent-child relationship has also shifted since the fad for healthy living and fitness has been introduced.
I've seen moms spending more time in the locker room. They hang back for a substantial amount of time looking on their phones for the healthiest meal to prepare, how to burn the most amount of fat in the shortest amount of time, or comparing their bodies to or idolizing the body builder’s photos seen on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, this is no crime; in fact, I encourage people to work hard for what they want, but this obsession for fitness and dieting has negative impacts even on the parent’s relationship with their child that go beyond the locker room.
Because the mom’s (and/or dad’s) attention is directed towards a specific lifestyle and look, they teach their child their obsession too. Even though the parent or parent figure is teaching them that staying fit and healthy is important, they communicate to their kid that it’s okay to pick apart their bodies and what they eat. If they – parent or child – do not have that lean, muscular, big butt, “fit” figure then they should transform themselves. This teaches their kid to not be comfortable in their own skin.
Another negative impact this fad and obsession brings is the time taken from positive human interaction. Because people (of any age) use their technological devices more and more it makes it difficult to teach their children the opposite of what they see. Even though parents try to educate their kids in the art and importance of socializing, I often see parents contradicting themselves. On numerous occasions I’ve seen young kids calling to their parents for approval of an arts and crafts project or to help them get soap off in the shower, but see a mother or father give an absent “Oh that looks great sweetie,” or no response at all as their eyes are still glued to their screens.
As we have observed during the major advancements of technology there was an apparent and unfortunate lack of communication and interaction between people, but now with the encouragement of the self through fitness, healthy living, and body image the connection between people have become remarkably strained. During my time at the gym I see children try to seek more attention from their parents either through cheeky or extreme acts, which more often than not results in a lecture.
This article is merely an observation. Please leave any comments on what you notice at your gym or the interactions among people and families in the presence of fitness and/or technology.
