We all know about heroin, cocain, alcohol, reefer and how addictive they are, but what about computers? Does not the big glowing screen give the user a sort of euphoric feeling in a?hypnotized state? Look around you on the subway, or at work, or in homes(it’s okay to peep a little) and notice the screens effect on people.
The eyes are wide open and glossy, transfixed on moving images and lights that create a special feeling, one of escape. For is that not what today’s world consists of? The hopeless reality of life seems too depressing so we turn to distractions like sex, drugs, T.V. and computers to forget about your nagging girlfriend or crazy parents and just sit there.
There is a new term out that?characterizes such a state. It is called computer stoned, and it is the result of too much computer. The Webopedia definition is: “A?slang term used to describe a person who has spent too many hours in front of a?computer resulting in a drug-like induced state of being. Symptoms of being computer stoned includes fatigue, headache, sore eyes, bloodshot eyes or a lack of energy.” Funny, and I mean funny like peculiar.
It is peculiar because I am stoned right now. I have been staring at this computer screen for two hours straight, the symptoms are starting to show, and this is not right. Looking at myself through someone else’s eyes, I am basically wasting time sitting and staring when I could have been doing something outside or more productive and active.
That is the way the world is now: online, plugged in, and booted up. It is not heroin I am booting up, no, I am booting up the CPU and getting high off the new features, the constant updates, the feeds that never end. So what are some ways to get myself out of this potential?hazardous?to health problem?
Well, that is common sense: get away from the computer. Take a break, go for a walk or work out, or just close the eyes and meditate for a little while. If you do not believe in relaxation, then read a book or perform some other task that does not involve staring at a screen. Right now I need to take a break, my eyes are watering and my neck and back is cramped from being in the same position for two hours. I mean, it cannot be good for my body and mind to sit on my bum, not blink for hours on end, all the while wondering why I have a headache all of a sudden, or why people think I just smoked a doobie because my eyes are shot.
It is important to take care of yourself while you are working or just using the computer. It may not seem like a big problem, but it is all about how you want to live your life and if you care about your body. Wake up from the zombie living dead status on your Facebook page! There is nothing worse than a computer addict trying to tell his story about recovery in a meeting, no one really considers the computer a drug. It is a drug, because it changes how someone feels.
To conclude this message from the D.A.R.E. program, don’t do drugs, drink your milk, and stay away from too much computer activity.