Hello,
I am looking for a peer review to assist me with my paper on electronic addiction and the importance of incorporating physical and social activities. Specifically, I would like help with broadening or narrowing my topic, and other areas of interest that pertain to the subject.
Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Tina
Rio Salado College
The Importance of Physical and Social Hobbies In Today's Electronic World
In today's world it has become increasingly difficult to stay away from an electronic device for very long. It is said that the average teenager uses an electronic device or cell phone for approximately 12 hours per day. Even my four-year-old son can not seem to put down the phone we gave him to play games on for longer than a half hour! I personally spend at least 12 hours a day on the computer whether it be for work, playing games, or streaming television through Netflix. I had developed a habit last year that was brought to my attention, much to my embarrassment- a challenge: not to look at my phone for 5 minutes. when I am bored and it is quick and easy to pick up a cell phone and play games versus going to the gym. Many adults and children who are consumed with playing video games, watching television, and overusing computers are losing sight of how important it is to have physical and social hobbies, such as sports, hiking, running, and volunteer work.
First off, electronics have never been more popular that they are in this decade! With the Playstation 4, Playstation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii, PC's, cell phones, Nvidia Shield, Tablets, Phablets, and Apple products iPads, iPods, as the basics its no wonder we are constantly consumed. These are just devices-yes we are only getting warmed up. The applications that these devices run make it practically impossible to ever become bored! Netflix allows you to you stream movies and popular Television shows at the touch of your finger tips. People don't even do their own shopping anymore as they can order everything online. There are reading apps such as Kindle and Nook that help people read with ease instead of going oput to the library. There are other applications that allow you to do many other social networking websites with ease such as online banking, match making and dating sites, and of course school work. The possibilities to remain plugged in are countless! This makes being physical in the outside world difficult-unless of course you can multitask. Please no texting and driving!
Unless you were born in a closet and stayed in it your whole life you know the facts regarding exercise and physical activity. They are even more important in today's electronic world. Exercise aids in the mental state of an individual. It reduces stress hormones, and helps to decrease depression and anxiety. People who regularly exercise report a clear mind and the ability to cope with stressful events in a healthier way. My cousin Corey for instance has been through some trauma as a result of being a Marine. Throughout his tour with the military he had been involved in combat and shooting on the battlefield. He even missed the birth of his first child. He reported that the only thing besides thinking about his faith and family that helped him to gain perspective and realize that his situation was temporary was working out regularly with his platoon. He said that his routine of discipline on his body helped him to mentally prepare for each day. On his morning run he would enjoy time to reflect and think about his future. I believe exercise has helped me deal with stress myself.
Secondly, physical activity is so important for your body and overall health. According to the Mayo Clinic there are seven physical benefits of exercise: it controls your weight, combats disease and health conditions, improves mood, boosts your energy, promotes better sleep, puts a spark back in your sex life, and can just be plain old fun! These are just a few examples of benefits of exercise and I know that personally it has expanded my lung capacity and energy level since I became a person who regularly exercises. After my recent surgery my downtime for recovery was significantly less because I had preemptively exercised to prepare my body. I believe it significantly reduced my recovery time as I was better within a week. It was a big challenge to make time to work out each day. It is tempting to go home and hop on my laptop or PS3, but the perseverance pays off and the dedication is what it takes. Besides, I have to be a good example to my children and practice what I preach!
This leads me to my next point: children need a good example of balance between electronic and physical stimulation. My kids didn't care as much about being physical, especially my teenager who lost interest in P.E. At school last year and finds his phone to be super glued to his hand the majority of the time. It is difficult for me to do it, but I make him spend one hour after his homework away from his phone. We put all of our phones on silent and go outside together either for a walk, hiking, or to the gym. The use of electronic devices are important in today's upbringing, but can cause detriments to physical health if balance is not achieved. Ultimately, ready information is useful for homework projects and research. We are not against it all together, but now our family realizes the ease of developing poor habits than can supersede more important aspects of getting out in the world and doing things. Being aware of the addiction to electronics is real and should be a balancing act in the grand scheme of daily life.
In addition to this, physical activity is crucial for proper development in youth, and can create great experiences with many positive outcomes. Kids who are involved in little league sports often develop soft skills and self-confidence at a higher rate versus kids who do not participate in sports. They gain a sense of team work, and positive interactions with their peers. They often stay in the sports as they grow older developing life long relationships and bonds. They also learn authority, discipline and responsibility to their coach and their team. They also show to have better grades in school as a result of the physical sport, having the ability to think quickly and more clearly. Besides this, let's face it, the more a child stays busy with a healthy activity the less likely they are to get caught up in negativity online, cyber-bullying, or troublesome habits such as pornography, and online gambling. Young women athletes are 80% less likely to become pregnant and all athletes are also less likely to pick up a drug habit and are less inclined to smoke cigarettes. It is a fact that parents who involve and/or participate in physical activities with their children will increase the overall social and physical health of their child versus parents who allow their children to be consumed with electronic play. There is nothing more annoying than anti-social children who stay glues to television or video games when you go to visit them at family gatherings or holidays. Furthermore, adults can be guilty of this as well and have a negative impact on their child.
Consecutively, adults need balance between physical and electronic stimulation. As we grow older it is easier to be3come lazy thinking that we are old so why care? The statistics of deaths as a result of heart disease alone is eye-opening: according to the Center for Disease Control about 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year-that's 1 in every 4 deaths.1 Crazy huh? They go on to say that heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. More than half of the deaths due to heart disease in 2009 were in men.1 Exercise is so crucial for prevention of disease as we age. Unfortunately, there are many adults become addicted to electronic devices and their health suffers as a result. My own boyfriend can not go one evening without sitting down to play hours of role-playing games which irritates me immensely, but I deal with it. The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability states, "Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of cognitive decline." Adults who participate in volunteer and physical labor live longer, healthier, and valuable lives as a result of the social and physical benefits of these activities versus adults who sit sedentary on electronic stimulation. Fun fact: A survey of career professionals at the level of executive Vice President for 75 Fortune 500 companies showed that 95% of them played sports in high school!
Developing a routine of being physical can be extremely difficult. If you are not in the habit of doing activities on a regular basis it can be quite traumatic to the lazy bones. Experts say that it takes 30 day s to develop a habit that you actually have to break. I know personally I had to carve out a designated time in my daily schedule to exercise. At first it was even tougher to get into it because I would get so incredibly sore from physical activity and my body was adjusting to a new lifestyle but I pressed on through it and I am so glad I did. It was difficult at first, but now I look forward to it and if I miss a day I feel terrible! It can be helpful to find a partner or workout buddy as well. My sister goes with me to workout every day which makes it a great way to see her and spend quality time with her.
Now that we have looked at the physical activities I wanted to share that volunteering for an organization can be a great social outlet. Often times the volunteer work is physical in nature as well; double bonus! I like that there are so many ways to help others who are less fortunate and I find as I get older that is is a saving grace. Here in Phoenix alone there are places like the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Sober homes, Phoenix Children's Hospital, homeless shelters, HandsOn of Greater Phoenix, Sunnyslope Community Center, and St.Vincent DePaul to name a few. I actually got involved in two programs, one called A New Leaf and the other the Desert Mission. To volunteer and perform community service is extremely rewarding and a terrific way to give back to your world. I have met many people who have overcome many obstacles and are stronger than I will ever be and have less that I do monetarily, but far outweigh my strength. Having these personal interactions with others has been a much more rewarding experience than playing on my cell phone.
In conclusion, it is easy to see that physical activity is so much more important than being addicted to electronic devices. The balance of exercise and electronic use should be more geared towards the physical or social activities of life whenever possible. If more parents and adults were aware of this when child rearing, or even aging themselves it would be a much greater quality of life for generations to come. I envision a world where people are living to be at least a hundred years old on a more frequent basis. I hope that children will grow up smarter in soft skills and social skills, but also be healthier for it. I wish that people in the United States would take accountability for their actions in this arena and see that physical activity is so important so that we are not the number one country for obesity. I hope that somehow you make it a priority to have more social actions: go on dates with your spouse or partner. Fly a kite. Take pictures outdoors. Go camping or fishing. Hike a mountain. Ride your bike. Make a difference in this world by helping someone less fortunate. Go to the library and check out a book! Go for a brisk walk, but do something today and plan something every day to keep you as a balanced individual. The balance of exercise and electronic use should be more geared towards the physical or social activities of life whenever possible.
Works Cited:
"Phoenix Volunteer Opportunities." Phoenix Volunteer Opportunities. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
"Be Active Your Way Blog." Health.gov. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Top 5 Reasons Why Children Should Play Sports." Amazing Athletes. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Psychological and Social Benefits of Playing True Sport." TrueSport.Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Sports: The Benefits of Competitive Athletic Sports Participation in Today's Sports Climate." Sports: The Benefits of Competitive Athletic Sports Participation in Today's Sports Climate. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
"Heart Disease Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
