By Rohini Gopal ’27
Students in the United States seem increasingly likely to be constant users of technology. There are electronics surrounding them everywhere, they go. Along with this has been a marked decrease in their physical activity. It is difficult for young adults to get physical activity since they are caught up in other activities. In today’s world, teenagers need to put their phones down and go take a walk or get on the Peloton! Robin Arzon, a motivational instructor at Peloton, said, “Movement is medicine, and self-care is not selfish!”
A very recent article appearing in the New York Times said, “Resistive work is safe for kids and likely helps to prevent injuries in sports, has beneficial metabolic effects, and a huge mental health benefit.”
Sometimes, time away from the phone is very good for your mind. When you go home, take 20 minutes to write in your journal about pros and cons from the day. After you do this, go on a walk on the treadmill to release all of the energy from the day. This will get your blood pumping and lead to less inertia.
The World Health Organization recommends one hour of moderate to vigorous exercise every day for adolescents. This may seem like a stretch, but doing yoga, cycling, or doing strength training are many ways to get active. Since teenagers are on social media frequently, they lose track of how much time they are wasting. The study found that total physical activity dropped between ages 12 and 16, mostly because of decreases in light activity, and sedentary behavior increases.
According to the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine, most teenagers spend more than two-thirds of their day sitting down. Some ways we can limit this is implementing screen-free time throughout the day. Generation Z is the generation that doesn’t call, they text. A parent could encourage them to stand up and walk around while talking on the phone. Sitting down for hours at a time can result in back pain and posture issues. Ways that we can change this are by reading a book, painting, or completing a puzzle with your sibling.
According to The Star, more screen time leads to bad results such as obesity and academic decline. A suggestion is to avoid having phones in the bedrooms as well as staying mindful of others around you when you have your phone out at a family or social gathering. For example, my brother, Rishi, makes his phone as boring as possible and uses the grayscale color filter to make it very plain.
Some suggestions of things to do are to make your own beanbag balls, or cook dinner. These activities teach kids lifelong skills that will benefit them when they are young adults. Consider calling a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while and catch up. Go driving with a parent,t which will teach the child patience and learning how to navigate complex situations. Also, it shows that you know how to take care of a vehicle.
In conclusion, phones are not good if you use them too much, and there are other ways to fill up your free time such as reading a book, drawing, or playing Jenga.
THE BEAR FACTS 