Published November 6, 2024
BY AVERY PALSHAW
It’s the 21st century–the age of artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and obnoxious Tik Tok dances–and people need to touch some physical grass. You know, the green stuff that grows out of the ground.
Since the pandemic, a period where society was heavily encouraged to not go outdoors, the mindset of practicality over curiosity seems to have stuck. Teenagers, in particular, now find it easier to spend their days at home, scrolling mindlessly on magic devices.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, children of ages 8 to 12 in the United States spend roughly five hours on screens daily, while teenagers average a whopping nine hours a day. The recommended time is no more than two hours a day. If the typical person is awake for 16 hours a day and the average screen time for teens is nine hours, that means teens are spending around 55% of their time on technology. Truthfully, that’s heartbreaking.
With only 58% of U.S. adults spending more than 30 minutes outside daily, according to the National Recreation and Parks Association, most people spend little time in the great outdoors. As for those who do take initiative of venturing into the wilderness, they’re often looking for the perfect Instagram-worthy photo rather than simply enjoying their surroundings. In forgetting the wonders of the natural world, we also forget to protect it.
Yes, it’s ironic to advocate for the environment when the newspaper I write for prints 2,000 papers each month, but writing provides a healthy outlet for expressing creativity. Meanwhile, there are some adolescents who would rather lay in bed while they play Call Of Duty or wait for Chat GPT to write an essay for them.
If humanity can regain an appreciation for nature again, then perhaps the environment can work its way back to stability. With that, mental health is improved by enjoying the outdoors, because it equates to fewer hours spent online.
Life passes by in an instant, and it would be a shame to waste it away on meaningless entertainment like “Get Ready With Me” videos or “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” There’s a whole world out there, and complex as it may be, it is equally abundant with beauty. The scenic Monterey Peninsula’s deep, blue ocean and forested trails are patiently waiting to be explored, so close your computers, set down your phones, turn off your televisions and touch some grass.
