Again With the Warnings?

The Huffington Post recently published an article about how computers, games and phones are affecting kids’ bodies. They seem to be developing pain in their fingers and thumbs from playing games and texting. Sitting in front of a screen more than being outside can develop extra narrow blood vessels in their eyes. Too much time social networking can lead to ‘Facebook Depression’ and ADD.  Permanent damage to the ears is being caused by excessive headphone wearing and necks and backs are sore from kids hunching over their phone screens, better known as I-posture. That one put a smile on my face.

It seems like every generation has its concerns. My generation was warned about too much television viewing.  My mother always told me if I sat too close to the screen I would go blind. What do I do now? Sit in front of a computer screen for 12 hours a day. I’m still not blind. The only one allowed really close to the television was the Sears serviceman who periodically came to run the degaussing ring around the outside of the set creating swirls of vibrant colors during the demagnetizing process. I loved to watch that.

 “Don’t touch the screen!” My father’s eleventh commandment was burned into my soul. Do you know what it did to me when touch screens came out? It was like learning to walk all over again.  I had to consciously force myself to reach out and with a trembling finger…touch.  I felt like I was committing a crime every time I did it.

Anyway, this article suggested the human body is not made for long term sitting. Really? Then why was the sitting room invented? How would an author write or an artist paint if they didn’t sit for extended periods of time?  People have been reading for centuries. How do they do it if they are not sitting or lying down for hours? It took Michelangelo over four years to paint the Sistine chapel ceiling.  I can’t even imagine how much that affected his eyes, neck, back and arms.  The Harry Potter series adds up to approximately 1.08 million words. I wonder if J.K. Rowling remained still for any length of time to write them?

The way I see it is there are inside people and there are outside people, the innies and the outies. For some reason, the outies think they know what is good for the innies and being inside isn’t good. Outies are the ones who march into a room that an innie is perfectly happy in and swish back the drapes saying, “how can you stand being in the dark?” I usually hiss and rush back to close out the light again but I didn’t used to. I would sigh and do what the all knowing outie said was best for me like go on a bug hunt or run through the sprinklers.

I’d just like to remind the outies that they wouldn’t have as many great movies, books, art or music if it weren’t for the innies. Don’t swish back drapes or shame an innie into a bug hunt and don’t worry about our eyes or our backs or if we’ll get depressed ‘cause we haven’t been poked by the right Facebook person.

Outies, go ahead and enjoy your hike, swim, wander in the park. We innies don’t care. We’ll be waiting for you when you return, sitting for hours, in the dark, with our squinty eyes and atrophied muscles. Bleh.