I wouldn't go to the extent that you can't experience the senses without seeing nature, but it is a very valuable experience.The urban environment does not offer the sensual experiences that nature can. In a city, you are constantly bombarded by everything around you without any focus. Nature allows a much more calm and focused outlook which is important. Visiting the wild makes you appreciate things more, so I would agree with this statement.
I think it makes a lot of sense that people who spend more time on the internet have a higher rate of depression because they don't get as much direct human contact. Interacting with people is very important for one's well being and without it it follows that one would be more depressed.
As human beings we do need direct, natural experiences to activate our senses in order to feel fully alive. It is very similar to the example used in the text. Jared Grano said that he felt he “was a part of nature” after seeking shelter in the caves. It is those experiences that bring you back to the world around you. Spending so much time on the Internet and detached from those around you alienates yourself. When you have those real, deep connections not only with nature, but also with people, you feel more alive. For instance, when you have a long and meaningful conversation with someone, you feel different; much different than simply texting someone or talking to them on Facebook. These natural experiences activate our senses making us feel alive.
I agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not. When you spend countless hours on your computer, you do not interact with those around you. While you may be communicating with someone else through Facebook, email, or Skype, you do not have the same interaction that you would have when talking to someone face-to-face. Spending your time on the Internet alienates yourself from those around you and when you are not spending time with people, you are bound to feel lonely. And since loneliness is a main cause of depression, spending time on the Internet can therefore cause depression.
I wouldn't go as far to say that natural exposure is necessary to feeling fully alive, but I will agree with the author that nature is important to the development of a person. The quote "children's early understanding of how cities and nature fit together was gained from the backseat." is entirely accurate. Especially on long road trips, an appreciation of nature is gained by looking out the window directly to the right or left and seeing nature whiz by. Camping is an exhilarating experience for a lot of people. Yes, there are many people who just aren't cut out for it because they hate bugs, can't sleep on the ground, or just don't want to get a little dirty, but the benefits and thrill of just being in nature, especially with friends or family, is well worth the dirt.
The internet (which I will extend for my response to include online video gaming) is not the same as physical human interaction. Yes there can be an argument that there is human interaction through text through a microphone at someone who just shot you, but it is not the same as having the facial expression recognition and change in voice tone as in real conversation. Therefore, someone who spends too much time with only impersonal interaction could become more depressed than someone who gets out and does activities with other people because of the lack of direct enjoyment nature and direct social interaction provides that digital interaction does not.
In our current society, there is less and less emphasis placed on direct, natural experiences, but I do agree that it is these experiences that most fully engage the senses which is when we feel most alive. It is obvious that people feel most alive with nature present, for example if someone is talking about an exhilarating experience, it is likely that they were camping, jogging, visiting a park or beach, not just sitting in their dorm room doing homework. However, society is removing itself from nature and natural experiences which were once part of everyday life for many people are now only experienced occasionally on vacations and short day trips. As we focus less on nature, it becomes a marginalized part of our senses meaning fewer people experience it and its importance to us is diminishing.
It doesn't surprise me that people who spend more time on the internet tend to be more depressed than those who do not. As it has been already said, online interaction cannot replace in-person human interaction. The internet simply cannot provide the same connection that can be experienced through direct human interaction; it lacks emotion, touch, and sincerity that can be seen in person but faked online. However, while I do believe this trend of depression I also wonder how much it has changed since the 1998 study because technology has penetrated into more aspects of our life and become essential in the daily life of most people.
I believe as humans we absolutely need nature as a part of our lives especially at the younger ages. Someone's childhood affects the way they live the rest of their lives. Connecting with nature inspires exercise such as sports or even a relaxing walk which in return relates to healthy eating habits. When someone is contained indoors they do not give themselves the opportunity for exercise which I believe correlates directly to eating habits thus increasing their chances of obesity. Due to the technology these days the chances of this occurring is also increased. The belief that the higher use of internet creates depression is probably true generally but in reality depends on the person. Someone might just have an active social life of social blogging sights but then again another person might just be playing video games in their basement all night and have no social life. It all depends on the person so it is just a generalization.
Spending extensive time on the internet could eventually lead to our brains developing in such a way where it stunts our growth. We are essentially creatures of habit, and our habitual nature is directly linked with our brain development. We need diversity, new experiences, and change to keep us happy and constantly growing as individuals. I believe that the internet can prevent us from allowing ourselves to reach these points. Sure, there are such things as internet relationships, but sometimes, especially in our current generation, we forget that the internet is a tool for us to use to increase our brain capacity. We need direct human contact to keep us sane. Studies have shown that our happiness relies on human contact, change, and humanitarian and spiritual aspirations. Fresh air and reflection is something that is heightened when you are in nature. First hand experiences are vital to our life long learning experiences. There are things to be shared on the internet that contribute to human connections, but not all the senses are included. I believe that people who spend too much time on the internet are inherently more unhappy than those who spend more time in nature, because the experience of feeling and touching and breathing in your surroundings is non-existent. So, I believe we do need direct natural experiences to feel fully alive. We learn fully through our own experiences, not reading blogs or watching videos, or connecting with people online. I think the internet gives us a false sense of living, which is why you can find so many lonely people on the internet. Figuratively you cannot find yourself on the internet. (Even though you literally can) and experiencing life to the fullest is sharing what you've discovered by getting yourself out there and changing, learning, and really living.
I think a person will feel fully alive when they have or are trying to complete one of their life goals, their bucket list Some people a goal is to get out and have the natural experience that will get the “in touch” with oneself. Others is to beat the new Halo 4 game… One person isn’t living a more fulfilled life than the other; they are just taking different routes to feel fully alive. Living through ones own experiences is a great way to learn, but that is not the only way people do learn. Why do you think you are in college? Some want to stick their head in a book and read about the adventures of others and project themselves into that situation and they feel they are living their life to the fullest. Others want to get out and make those stories, one in the same I think.
I don’t agree that the Internet is the reason people suffer from depression. The relationship between the Internet and depression isn’t a direct relationship (i.e. if you are on the Internet you will get depressed). I think lots of depressed people use the Internet to try and get out of the rut they feel they are in. Some find the help they need and some don’t. But then again I’m not a doctor…
I would agree with Mark K in that one person doesn't live a more fulfilled life than another because everybody has different life goals. If you achieve the goal at hand I believe it will make you feel much more alive. I feel I have personally experience this through sports. I played football my entire life and this is my first year not playing. As the season progressed I began to feel empty and I really missed playing. Almost as if it were just a part of my life.
As to question 2 I would agree. Staying on the computer you are confining yourself to the world and not living through personal experience but rather living through experiences of others. For example, youtube videos or sports highlights and things of that nature. As many people know experiencing something live is a complete different experience than watching it on a screen. Due to that I feel strongly that too much time on the computer can lead to depression
There are several different ways for humans to "feel fully alive" and they all depend on that specific person. I don't know what exactly activates our senses and why it does but I agree that many human beings benefit greatly from direct and natural experiences which helps activate their senses. Being an active part of the world around you and feeling "part of nature" as Jared Grano felt is very important for personal growth and feeling fully alive, whatever that means. Particularly with nature, I've had very few experiences when I felt anywhere close to the phenomenon that the reading tries to explain. Like Jared Grano, I was largely impressed and dumbstruck by the magnificence of Grand Canyon the first time seeing it but then grew weary of it quite rapidly and now am sick of it after visiting it over 15 times. However when I visited Kashmir for a week this past summer is the time I truly appreciated nature for the first time and felt my senses activated to an extent. As refreshing as nature can be, simple interaction with other people are as important, if not more. Not everyone gets the chance to visit or sight-see nature; everyone can spend time with other people. People who spend more time on the Internet than others do suffer higher depression if just that factor is included. But there are many more things that should be taken into account when looking at things that affect depression. I feel that people who spend an excessive amount of time on online routinely instead of getting out more often are living with a false sense of happiness. Whether that leads to a sense of emptiness then loneliness and eventually depression is something I am not sure of. But people who have IA definitely don't have their senses activated and for sure never "feel fully alive."
I feel a direct, natural experience is necessary for one to truly understand the feeling of being "fully alive." For most of the environments we live in, this type of experience is not common. We are used to personal interaction, a mind set of completing a task, and trying to make it alive to the next day. We participate in this cycle continuously. For the times when our minds aren't occupied with a goal, we take the open time for the most simple actions of rest, or a more relaxed interaction with our friends and family. With this being the way we spend our days, our bodies and senses become accustomed to our regular actions. The experiences encountered in nature, smelling, hearing, tasting, seeing, are all independent experiences. We need intimate experiences with our minds, with the land, and with the world as it is in its natural habitat. Often we get caught up in the superficial world we have created amongst ourselves, and that can lead to a disconnect with what is natural- our thoughts, our emotions, and our world. I think it is vital for a persons spirit to reconnect with the land and the ground in our minds. We get too big of heads sometimes and lose touch with what is at the base of life its self.
For the second question, I would agree with the internet user fact. I would have to agree with Jordan in the sense that a personal experience is completely different from a virtual experience. I also agree with the idea that people who use the internet excessively confine themselves to a virtual reality rather that interacting with an actual reality.
I think that a lot of relationships in this reading are falsely interpreted. The author immediately tries to prove his argument that all people have to be in contact with nature to have their senses "awakened." So, he presents situations of people in nature like the father and son and the lion. The father ..."realized that he could not remember the last time he had used all of his senses so acutely" (667) after they realized the lion had circled them. The author suggests that this heightened sense was due to the fact that the father and son were outside instead of staring at computer screens. But I don't think this is completely accurate. I think that the reason his senses are heightened, like the kids exploring the mountainside, is because he is in an unfamiliar place. People do not use their senses in familiar areas because when people do the same thing everyday, everything can be accomplished on "auto-pilot." However if you are driving on a new highway, visiting a new town, or galavanting in the wilderness, your senses will be heightened because you have to be conscious of your actions.
Also, the claim that people who spend more time on the internet are suffering from higher depression is also questionable to me. Obviously there is data to support the statement, but I just wonder how well it was interpreted or delivered. Maybe it is not the computer that makes people depressed but that depressed people turn to the internet instead of social interaction as an outlet for their feelings.
Despite my viewpoint on the arguments in the reading, I do think that people should value nature and the experiences that come with it. But some people physically cannot appreciate something that is completely foreign to their lifestyle. Therefore, I simply think it is important to explore things and learn-- that is how everyone can heighten their senses or feel alive.
Do we need natural interactions to be fully alive as humans? I would answer yes to this question but would put a disclaimer on it. While I believe its true that natural experiences do stimulate your senses, I believe this isn't the only way they can be stimulated in this way. As the text suggests, I also believe that any simulation of nature can also get the job done so one doesn't need to be "in nature" to get the same stimulation. One could be in a simulator and as long as the breeze is right, the smell is right, the climate is right, and the sounds are right, we can trick ourselves into having natural experiences without having to be in nature. This could still allow people to be "fully alive" without having to "experince 'natural' nature". In regards to question 2, I would say there is some validity to this. From personal observations, I know that, at least in my family, people who spend too much time looking at a computer screen are generally shorter tempered and angrier that people who spend their time interacting with others and spending time with them. The people who interact with each other are generally happier than those who confine themselves to the internet and its wonders, never forming strong relations with others. Then when they finally want to talk, no one really knows how to interact with them and they feel ignored,left out, and overall depressed.
After reading this story and based off my personal experiences, I do believe that we need direct and natural experiences in order to feel fully alive. Sure, there are several things that people occupy their time with that may be temporarily satisfying, but video games or spending too much time on Facebook will eventually become draining. When we spend too much time doing the same exact routine, we forget what it feels like to experience new and exciting things, and we as humans, desire that and need that in order to be joyful. Our society and culture today has somewhat created a disconnect between humans and nature because of other material items we deem as more important. Eventually, we become numb to this because we are accustomed to it and we don't experience anything new. In order to live a full and happy life, it is essential that one creates more direct and natural experiences.
Lastly, I completely agree with the fact that people suffer from higher depression if they spend an excessive amount of time on the Internet. This relates back to the previous question in the sense of being closed off from nature and not experiencing new things. Although this is completely normal in our society today, the amount of time people spend on the Internet is extremely damaging and harmful. When we are trapped in a routine, it gets hard to experience joy in doing the same thing day after day after day, especially if it includes being sucked in by the Internet for hours at a time. Yes, one could argue that there are several factors that cause depression and it depends for each person, but I think without a doubt that constant use of the Internet every single day is one of them.
1. I believe that as humans one requires natural experiences to activate senses because utilizing all ones senses makes understanding experiences more knowledgeable. For example, if I were to bake a cake and all I did was read the directions online then I would miss out on the actual taste, smell, and experience it takes to create one. I also think that if someone were to go through life trying to read about it instead of going out there and experiencing it for them selves, they would miss out and gather faux knowledge about the subject. As a result, people wouldn’t feel very alive because their experiences they gather in life aren’t very accurate. The information may be correct but the substance that one takes away from the experience would be absent.
2. I don’t agree that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression because one can find pleasure on the Internet. If it interests someone to surf the web and find new information and events then why would it make them depressed if they are doing something they enjoy? People interact just as much through the Internet as they do in real life. It doesn’t make anyone more depressed than someone else just because they surf the web more. In addition, how does one measure depression and how does one know if Internet affects depression or if it is another outside cause. Overall, I believe that people who spend more time on the Internet do not suffer higher depression than those that don’t surf the web as much.
Yes, I do believe we do need direct contact and at least some natural experiences in our life. If we never come in direct contact with people, we will never truly feel human. For instance, a mother holds their children near to here and it gives their child comfortable and safe environment. Babies aren’t able to communicate verbally so they respond through physical touch. Louv makes a good point when he says that baby primates will die without any physical contact and that is a necessity for their survival. Also, if we never see the outside world or come in contact with others, we have lost all the traits of what it is to be human. All that remains after you take away direct contact with your surrounds is just an object of this world with no concept of reality. We do let technology dictate our lives at times. We believe we know everything because of all the information available on the internet. I know from personal experience because the Colorado shooting that took place in a theater not too long ago affected one of my friends. I heard about it and I felt bad about it, but didn’t really understand the feelings there. I talked to my friend or was physically there and knew people that were shoot and killed in that theater. He was frightened and worried sick making phone calls to a bunch of people. He had to attend a funeral for one of his friends who got killed. Also, he had to hear other people who took the shooting as a joke and were making jokes on the internet about the shooting. Those people making “harmless” jokes were not there to experience such a horrific event and took it for granted. To conclude, I do believe we need physical contact with our surroundings to preserve the humanity of the world otherwise we are no different than the machines and electronics we use.
It is difficult to say if an individual needs direct, natural experiences in order to activate ones senses and feel completely alive. However, from my own personal experiences and travels throughout the world I feel as if my eyes have been opened to the fact that there is so much more beyond what we typically see. Having traveled to Costa Rica three summers in a row now, I have had the opportunity to fully appreciate another natural environment, culture, and way of life. Experiencing the beaches, jungles, and environmental differences gave me a true sense of the beauty of life. There is so much that the world has to offer and often people get stuck in this constringent idea that things need to stay the same or that they should simply exist in the same environment. Picking up, starting over, and learning to adjust to other environments only makes a person grow and evolve. The prevalence of nature in Costa Rica and my constant interaction with it on my trips gave me a rich sense of our resources and heightened my senses to feel more alive. The sunsets at the beach, hiking in the jungles, and dealing with the constant rain -storms gave me a deeper sense of how nature can enhance ones life. Essentially the environment in Costa Rica gave me a much more laid back, unstressed attitude and I felt so much happier being somewhere that had so much to offer through nature.
I do agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not. People, who are typically on the Internet on a regular basis, are substituting time with their friends or loved ones for Internet activities. This creates a cycle of becoming non- social and continuing the habit of solitude. Like anything, the Internet can become addictive and individuals may feel the need to spend more and more time on the Internet. Sacrificing time with friends and family for Internet activities can lead to loneliness, and depression. Individuals who spend more time on the Internet are more likely to spend that time alone or by themselves instead of going out for dinner or engaging in activities with friends. This habitual pattern of spending time alone on the internet rather than going out and socializing is what makes me believe that individuals who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression.
I think that perhaps this question is just badly worded, because I don't think you need to activate your senses to feel truly alive. For example, I don't consider people who are blind or deaf to be dead. Using your senses has nothing to do with feeling alive. However, I can easily recognize the merit in having this experience. It reminds me of a writing assignment I had to do a couple of years ago, and it was our task to go outside and just sit. Sit and observe nature from our backyard or something similar, and we were to write about our experience. When I went outside, I began to write. I wrote about how all I could hear was cars driving by, and annoying neighborhood kids playing in the road. You can't see stars. You can't smell anything. It's all very dull, and I didn't even live in a suburban area. Recently, I took a camping trip up to the Mogollon Rim outside of Payson with some friends of mine, and the entire experience was riveting. The sights, the smells, and most of all the freedom. You can just run around and scream at the top of your lungs and not a single thing changes. Screaming in a suburban neighborhood will get the police called. I think that nature does not necessarily make us feel "more alive," but it certainly gives a different perspective on feeling that is not necessary, but beneficial to a good life. Seeing as there was a study on how those who spend more time on the internet are most likely to become depressed, I suppose I would have to agree with it. In addition, I don't think you can easily substitute face to face human connection with electronic. In example, if you were to receive an email from your crush, you would probably be excited. If they were to call you, you'd be even more excited, because their voice makes the connection more tangible. However, if they showed up at your doorstep, I'm pretty sure you'd be more excited than ever. Tangible relationships without a doubt outdo online ones, but I also believe online connections are better than none.
I do agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the internet suffer higher depression than those who do not. This is because they do not get experience much interaction with other humans and they do not get the opportunity to use all 5 senses so to speak. You can lose sight on how to even speak to others in public. It seems like if you spend too much time on the internet you become desensitized to your surroundings, your emotions, and others emotions. Typing things to others is not sufficient because you cannot include emotion, or physical interaction. I honestly do believe that this author is a little dramatic about some things regarding internet, technology, and electronics. It seems Richard Louv wants all of us to sit in the woods and live there with nothing but tools to make food. We have to give some credit to our technology and electronics because they make our world what it is today and provides jobs for many, entertainment, and a great way to communicate with loved ones.
I do believe that as humans, in order to get that feeling of being alive we need natural experiences. When does one have feel exhilarated in front of a computer monitor? When does someone feel like they are full of wonderment when in front of a tv screen? Our experiences do not vary enough for our senses to be stretched and to experience things anew that can surprise and astonish you. Our lives have become to monotonous surrounded by cityscape and technology to feel alive. I say this from experience as well as from reasoning. Some of my best memories, when I've felt most alive, have been when I've been outdoors and away from the cities, instead I was isolated in nature. Mother nature provides so much variety as well that you can never cease to be amazed as long as you keep exploring.
The reading cites only one study pointing to the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not and not only admits it to be controversial but also gives no details on how the conclusion was found. I have to question if in fact this is causative or actually correlative. However, I do believe that those who spend inordinate amounts of time online will inevitably feel lonely and a lack of affection which could lead to depression.
I believe to truly experience being human, one must become one with nature. Just feeling the breeze outside on a sunny day makes a person feel alive. Even walking around barefoot and eating organic food makes one have that "natural" feeling. When being in front of a computer screen all day makes a person feel anxious and restless, and in the case of the reading sometime it can make you feel depressed. I think is because the light of screen hurts your eyes, and the being surround by four walls makes for bad air circulation, and sitting in one position foe hours makes your body feel bad
To an extent, the author’s uneasiness about this generation’s experience with nature strikes me as that pervasive fear that young people are going to destroy the world. I almost laughed at his description of learning about nature through a car window; ancestors of his had somewhat more visceral experiences with long-distance travel without the help of Henry Ford. It's easy to foster concern when the people you're accusing are young and lack the communication skills and maturity necessary to show you you're wrong. Do you really expect a 15-year-old to have identified and put words to a spiritual oneness with nature?
I will not debate that nature is absolutely an important part of human life. There are little life lessons, not human lessons but lessons about life as a whole, that one gleans from climbing a tree, catching a fish, hiking a trail, or listening and not hearing traffic and ventilation systems.
But that we suffer sensory deprivation as a result of computers is a claim I disagree with. Taken to extremes, any behavior is harmful, whether it be exercising or chatting with friends or spending time online. This “Internet Addiction” he speaks of is this crazy excess that only a tiny proportion of any population suffers from. Most people, not just a few, like the author contends, but most have some experience with nature as far as I have seen. Most people would probably agree with him that “those people” who spend all their time online are sad and deprived. Then they would struggle and fail to find examples of “those people” from their own lives. They would nevertheless assume that such people exist, however, and make vague generalizations about them like Louv does in this piece.
In my opinion, all humans may not need direct natural experiences in order to feel fully alive, but to appreciate everything nature has to offer be well rounded and educated on various things in life one needs to have direct and natural experiences. I see it as when we always go to our parents for answers about anything and everything that we do not know the answer to because parents always have an answer to every question, the reason why our parents have reasonable and believable answers is not because they are always correct, but because they are well rounded and are familiar with many topics. As mentioned in “A life of the Senses”, children are going to be glued to the t.v in the car instead of observing different landscapes while on a road trip. Simple things like looking out the car window or taking a hike instead of driving up a mountain are experiences that educate people which in some peoples opinion is feeling fully alive. I do agree that people who spend more time on the internet suffer from higher depression than others who spend less time on the internet. In most cases when you are on the computer/internet you are not socializing with another person because you are busy looking at the computer screen, therefor you are alone when you could be around people. Surfing the internet can also be addicting in a way because you may only go on to look up one thing, but from all the ad’s and links available it is easy to get side tracked into looking at other things that were not intended which could eventually result in you being on the internet for hours instead of a few minutes, which takes time from your day you could be doing physical activities, not sitting at a desk.
I believe that as human beings we need direct, natural experiences to activate our senses and feel fully alive. Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing better than being out in the wilderness, completely alone, and literally feeling the energy of all the nature around you. I also believe though, that one does not have to be in the middle of dense forest to do this though. One can feel alive simply by being outside, wherever they are, and taking the time to stop and look around them, really listen to all the noises and notice all the people around them. We lose this sense of feeling fully alive because of our busy lives, and people forget to stop and look around every once in a while.
In regards to question two, I cannot say I completely agree with the statement that people who spend more time on the internet suffer from more depression than people who do not. A person can spend a lot of time of the Internet and still lead a happy, fulfilled, busy life. However, if a person relies on the Internet as their only source of happiness, then yes, I do believe they could potentially be more depressed. It is obvious that people who spend more time actually engaging in real life conversations and activities are happier because, most of the time, engaging in activities face-to-face lead to a more satisfactory and fulfilled sense of happiness.
In regard to the first question, I would say that direct, natural stimulus is essential for us to truly experience what it means to be human. While technology has certainly improved the efficiency of our lives, it has also made modern human interaction and experiences slightly impersonal, artificial and contrived. I think "natural experiences" have a tendency to put life into perspective and allow us time to reflect. I do understand how there could be a correlation between depression and frequent internet usage. To put it simply, the internet is not a substitute for live, in-person interaction and experiences and is certainly not as fulfilling. In addition, we may start to compare our reality to the stories, images, etc. that we see on the internet and conclude that our lives are lacking in comparison, resulting in depression. Overall, I think it's important to disengage from technology every once in a while and not let it consume or dictate our daily lives.
Humans don't need nature to be fully alive. Not human likes going into nature or has the opportunity to. Both question are going to extremes. You're asking if you never go live in a forest if you have truly lived or if our technological age is causing people to be more depressed. How people feel fulfillment in life differs from every person. Personally I will have only lived half a life if I never got around to see the natural wonders of the world. So in my personal case i value natural experiences, but as human beings i don't believe this is valued or has to be for everyone.
I agree that people who spend more time on who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression. The internet is a very superficial and unreal place. When you spend all you're time on the internet you start getting a warped sense of reality. For our age group long amounts of time spent of facebook can cause depression because you start comparing your life to other people you know. On facebook people only post pictures of them having fun and while you're sitting there alone. Long time spent on the internet defiantly causes depression.
I feel fully alive everyday of my human life, just because I ain't living in a cave, picking apples or bananas from tree make me less alive. As our own species as humans we have evolved just like every other species, the only thing is we are a more intelligent from the rest of the animals. We just made our valleys, mountains, islands and deserts more accommodating to our needs as a human in this era. Yes, we're not living in the forest or going out of the city to find foot or shelter to live in, but we use all of our five senses daily. For example we smell constantly to be aware of any harmful smells or even too look for a scent that smells good enough to eat. We see everyday of our human life, seeking out for any danger coming our way or even to gather information. Humans are separated from nature but our actions our natural and our five senses help survive each day. We might feel a change in our senses when were separated from our domesticated life's, but to say that makes us fully alive is just nonsense.
I wouldn't say everyone who spends more time in the Internet will suffer from higher depression. It really depends on what that person is doing on the Internet. I would say people who search for material on the internet that a human shouldn't be seeing or reading constantly our the ones who suffer depression, because they might find some article or something controversial that is completely false but conviencing to them making them fear that thing that they have just read. Maybe a person is constantly on Facebook and they stock their lover, while stocking that person they might find a conversation going on between their lover and another person; not knowing what the intentions of the conversation is about the person stocking them might come in conclusion thinking that their lover is cheating, so the stocker starts to panic and become depressed because they just found out their lover is cheating, but in fact the lover isn't but since he doesn't know that person will stay depressed until confronting their lover and finding out the truth. I think that's a way a person can become depressed on the Internet. Also the news, people who read the new may be too informed causing them to change their views in life; causing a person to think that everything they thought life was about was false making them depressed. It's very complicated.
I agree that nature is fine and dandy, but the way this particular reading presents the dichotomy of nature and city is too narrowly focused towards the author's point to be convincing. One could just as eloquently write an essay about how sensually rich city life is. Of course, this is not to say that sensory stimulation isn't necessary. It's an integral part of quality of life. But the assumption that it springs only from nature is just as superficial as the society this essay decries. As for the rates of depression, that study is old. It was probably hard not to be depressed with the connection speeds of 1998, to say nothing of the lack of content in general. But really, I can totally see how it would at least appear that people who use the internet for large amounts of time are more depressed. Most of the internet that people who spend a lot of time on is dedicated to conversation, and is usually relatively anonymous. In these spaces, people are more inclined to talk about what bothers them, and in these echo chambers a definite culture of depression and despair can form. Also, the internet, for all its apparent social use, does not provide real human interaction, contributing to depression. To blame the depression on the internet, however, is a fallacy. Most of the depression comes from the isolation and the lack of emotional repression in frequent users.
It is interesting to find out that this week’s blog deals with the topic of depression. The topic I am writing about this semester also deals with depression. Who is affected by and how it affects people. Is it a sickness or is it just some mental illness that people develop? I believe with all the research I been doing that depression does not just come or develop simply for just spending too much time staring at a computer screen. I believe the person already is dealing with depression which is why they have resorted to the hours a day on the internet. Depression is an insidious disease and those who suffer from it can try but never find a way out of it. It is a black hole that consumes the very daylight out of their lives. I believe the time they spend on the internet is just a way they try and cope with their depression. So to answer the question do people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not? The answer is not necessarily. Someone can suffer from depression and never look at a computers screen even if their life depended on it. That question is just a horrible question if you ask me. That thought is a false assumption assuming that all those who spend more time on the computer are suffering from depression.
I believe that being in touch with nature is important to fully experiencing life; however, I do not think that living in a technology-based society necessarily makes us deficient human beings. "These young people are smart, they grew up with computers, they were supposed to be superior--but now we know that something's missing" (673). Louv is rather pointedly referring to our generation when he says this, which I do not think is fair. A connection with nature is important, and it is refreshing to go and experience life outside of the city every once in awhile. But the fact that we are human beings means that we are separated from the rest of living creatures by our ability to reason. Advancing our reasoning capabilities (with certain limits of course) is what we are expected to do--it's in our nature (pun intended). So we should experience nature to remind ourselves that technology should not consume our lives, but I do not think we need to experience nature every day of our lives in order to feel 'truly alive.'
As someone who is extremely non-touchy-feely, I was a little disturbed by the apparent consequences of our hands-off society. Being absorbed by the internet is something that many people today excel at, and I agree that that can be dangerous. Now, many of my friends go to different colleges and the only opportunity I have to see them is to use the internet. We cannot be blamed for advancing technology to connect with loved ones that we perhaps cannot see in person. We can, however, be blamed for using these same technologies to distance ourselves from people who are easy to see and talk to in person. The idea that we are surrounded by technologies that can connect us with almost anyone and yet be more alone than ever before in history is not a new one. Sadly, I do not doubt its veracity.
Im not sure we necessarily NEED direct, natural experiences to feel fully alive, but for me i would have to say yes. For some people though it may be different as we all have different values. For me personally it comes down to just getting the most out of my life, and to do that im going to have to have those direct, natural experiences in life if i really want to live. However, i think it just comes down to what you value in life. If you want to be a cave dweller then more power to you. However, in my opinion you won't be getting the most out of this life that you were given. This life is full of experiences to be had, and it's those experiences which really makes me glad to be alive.
As far as the second question goes, i dont believe that the internet can make someone more depressed. Maybe the fact that depressed people may want to stay away from others and thus spend more time at home would have something to do with it. You could probably just as easily argue that people who spend x amount of time more watching tv a week are on average more depressed as well.
I believe that it is completely necessary to have natural experience to feel fully alive. As human beings, have been "designed" biologically like other animals to thrive on experience. Vitamin D from the sunlight is necessary and that is a factor on why people who spend much time on the internet are more likely to suffer depression. In addition, human interaction is necessary to happiness. Upon further thought, one will find that laughter and happiness arises from interaction from other humans. Movies, comedies, and video games are just artificial simulations of the interactions and therefore are not true substitutes for real interaction.
I apologize for being late. To the first question I answer no. But for sake of having more words I will give my reasoning that nature does not directly influence someone's feeling of "being alive." I would safely argue that drinking enough water and eating enough food and sleeping enough hours will make you more alive than nature will. Nature is pleasant to look at and to be submerged in, which is why I think every city should have nature accessible to everyone, and it has actually been shown that more wide-open parks and things of that sort have lowered the crime rate. People have submerged themselves in nature and it has lead their ultimate unhappiness. As humans we need so much more than just walking in forests and sitting in tall grasses. We can never be truly satisfied with anything from this world; but that is a different topic.
Since it is a fact I agree with it. I don't think internet hours and depression are a direct correlation. Outside of some of the truly gruesome and depressing content on the internet, people who spend more time on the internet may be lonely or may be searching for that feeling of satisfaction. The internet won't fill any emptiness of fulfill any longing, and if people search for that via the internet, they will not find it. Jesus said in John 4:13-14 that He supplies the only water that can eternally quench. He wasn't referring to a literal water that you could drink and never have to drink again, but to a satisfaction that will quench our hearts' thirst that we seek so earnestly. The woman He was speaking with was trying to fill this emptiness she felt, and whether it is surfing web pages for hours, making fortunes and accomplishing all of life's goals, or, in her case, having five husbands and then sexual relations with a fifth man with whom she is not married, Jesus satisfies this thirst. And this satisfaction in Him is not merely palliative, but everlasting.
In my opinion, I don't think that people need physical interaction in order to obtain fullness in life. I mean if somebody is virtually happy or enthusiastic, then the emotions are still flowing. The way I see it, accomplishments and success can be obtained in many different ways. If someone finds happiness on a football field or a monitor, the get the same rush when they achieve something. Another thing to consider is that some people are more actively social online than in real life. They just express themselves differently.
I don't think people who surf the internet often are more likely to suffer from depression than those who don't. In fact, I think it's the other way around. The internet is such a powerful resource now and days. I believe that the internet connects people who are unable to be together. With websites like Facebook, twitter, instagram and many more other social network engines, one could keep in touch with anybody. If anything, people who don't use the internet are more depressed because they are not connected with the world.
Personal you don’t need direct or natural experience to fully feel alive. To feel alive can simple be just be breathing, I understand that when you feel over whelmed with the things that you have to do in a daily basis such as work or school it becomes a habit that might cause you to think that your just robotically doing the things you need to do. But if you just sit for a minute and really think about what you’re doing and why, that’s life right there. To say “to feel fully alive”, might not be the right wording because everyone feel alive just the fact of having feelings now if you say “feel fully productive with your life” then that would be different. Now with the other question about the internet it seems pretty harsh to say, “Suffer from high depression”. Look at it this way majority of successful people had to go to school such as college or grad school all of that process causes a person to be in the internet for half of the day. Internet did not cause them to go depressed. I think that those that have a low self-esteem feel that their life has no meaning and being in the internet causes them to think about the things that they could be doing instead of being on the computer. It all depends on the actual person not the internet.
I wouldn't go to the extent that you can't experience the senses without seeing nature, but it is a very valuable experience.The urban environment does not offer the sensual experiences that nature can. In a city, you are constantly bombarded by everything around you without any focus. Nature allows a much more calm and focused outlook which is important. Visiting the wild makes you appreciate things more, so I would agree with this statement.
ReplyDeleteI think it makes a lot of sense that people who spend more time on the internet have a higher rate of depression because they don't get as much direct human contact. Interacting with people is very important for one's well being and without it it follows that one would be more depressed.
As human beings we do need direct, natural experiences to activate our senses in order to feel fully alive. It is very similar to the example used in the text. Jared Grano said that he felt he “was a part of nature” after seeking shelter in the caves. It is those experiences that bring you back to the world around you. Spending so much time on the Internet and detached from those around you alienates yourself. When you have those real, deep connections not only with nature, but also with people, you feel more alive. For instance, when you have a long and meaningful conversation with someone, you feel different; much different than simply texting someone or talking to them on Facebook. These natural experiences activate our senses making us feel alive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not. When you spend countless hours on your computer, you do not interact with those around you. While you may be communicating with someone else through Facebook, email, or Skype, you do not have the same interaction that you would have when talking to someone face-to-face. Spending your time on the Internet alienates yourself from those around you and when you are not spending time with people, you are bound to feel lonely. And since loneliness is a main cause of depression, spending time on the Internet can therefore cause depression.
I wouldn't go as far to say that natural exposure is necessary to feeling fully alive, but I will agree with the author that nature is important to the development of a person. The quote "children's early understanding of how cities and nature fit together was gained from the backseat." is entirely accurate. Especially on long road trips, an appreciation of nature is gained by looking out the window directly to the right or left and seeing nature whiz by. Camping is an exhilarating experience for a lot of people. Yes, there are many people who just aren't cut out for it because they hate bugs, can't sleep on the ground, or just don't want to get a little dirty, but the benefits and thrill of just being in nature, especially with friends or family, is well worth the dirt.
ReplyDeleteThe internet (which I will extend for my response to include online video gaming) is not the same as physical human interaction. Yes there can be an argument that there is human interaction through text through a microphone at someone who just shot you, but it is not the same as having the facial expression recognition and change in voice tone as in real conversation. Therefore, someone who spends too much time with only impersonal interaction could become more depressed than someone who gets out and does activities with other people because of the lack of direct enjoyment nature and direct social interaction provides that digital interaction does not.
In our current society, there is less and less emphasis placed on direct, natural experiences, but I do agree that it is these experiences that most fully engage the senses which is when we feel most alive. It is obvious that people feel most alive with nature present, for example if someone is talking about an exhilarating experience, it is likely that they were camping, jogging, visiting a park or beach, not just sitting in their dorm room doing homework. However, society is removing itself from nature and natural experiences which were once part of everyday life for many people are now only experienced occasionally on vacations and short day trips. As we focus less on nature, it becomes a marginalized part of our senses meaning fewer people experience it and its importance to us is diminishing.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't surprise me that people who spend more time on the internet tend to be more depressed than those who do not. As it has been already said, online interaction cannot replace in-person human interaction. The internet simply cannot provide the same connection that can be experienced through direct human interaction; it lacks emotion, touch, and sincerity that can be seen in person but faked online. However, while I do believe this trend of depression I also wonder how much it has changed since the 1998 study because technology has penetrated into more aspects of our life and become essential in the daily life of most people.
I believe as humans we absolutely need nature as a part of our lives especially at the younger ages. Someone's childhood affects the way they live the rest of their lives. Connecting with nature inspires exercise such as sports or even a relaxing walk which in return relates to healthy eating habits. When someone is contained indoors they do not give themselves the opportunity for exercise which I believe correlates directly to eating habits thus increasing their chances of obesity. Due to the technology these days the chances of this occurring is also increased. The belief that the higher use of internet creates depression is probably true generally but in reality depends on the person. Someone might just have an active social life of social blogging sights but then again another person might just be playing video games in their basement all night and have no social life. It all depends on the person so it is just a generalization.
ReplyDeleteSpending extensive time on the internet could eventually lead to our brains developing in such a way where it stunts our growth. We are essentially creatures of habit, and our habitual nature is directly linked with our brain development. We need diversity, new experiences, and change to keep us happy and constantly growing as individuals. I believe that the internet can prevent us from allowing ourselves to reach these points.
ReplyDeleteSure, there are such things as internet relationships, but sometimes, especially in our current generation, we forget that the internet is a tool for us to use to increase our brain capacity. We need direct human contact to keep us sane. Studies have shown that our happiness relies on human contact, change, and humanitarian and spiritual aspirations. Fresh air and reflection is something that is heightened when you are in nature. First hand experiences are vital to our life long learning experiences. There are things to be shared on the internet that contribute to human connections, but not all the senses are included. I believe that people who spend too much time on the internet are inherently more unhappy than those who spend more time in nature, because the experience of feeling and touching and breathing in your surroundings is non-existent.
So, I believe we do need direct natural experiences to feel fully alive. We learn fully through our own experiences, not reading blogs or watching videos, or connecting with people online. I think the internet gives us a false sense of living, which is why you can find so many lonely people on the internet. Figuratively you cannot find yourself on the internet. (Even though you literally can) and experiencing life to the fullest is sharing what you've discovered by getting yourself out there and changing, learning, and really living.
I think a person will feel fully alive when they have or are trying to complete one of their life goals, their bucket list Some people a goal is to get out and have the natural experience that will get the “in touch” with oneself. Others is to beat the new Halo 4 game… One person isn’t living a more fulfilled life than the other; they are just taking different routes to feel fully alive. Living through ones own experiences is a great way to learn, but that is not the only way people do learn. Why do you think you are in college? Some want to stick their head in a book and read about the adventures of others and project themselves into that situation and they feel they are living their life to the fullest. Others want to get out and make those stories, one in the same I think.
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree that the Internet is the reason people suffer from depression. The relationship between the Internet and depression isn’t a direct relationship (i.e. if you are on the Internet you will get depressed). I think lots of depressed people use the Internet to try and get out of the rut they feel they are in. Some find the help they need and some don’t. But then again I’m not a doctor…
I would agree with Mark K in that one person doesn't live a more fulfilled life than another because everybody has different life goals. If you achieve the goal at hand I believe it will make you feel much more alive. I feel I have personally experience this through sports. I played football my entire life and this is my first year not playing. As the season progressed I began to feel empty and I really missed playing. Almost as if it were just a part of my life.
ReplyDeleteAs to question 2 I would agree. Staying on the computer you are confining yourself to the world and not living through personal experience but rather living through experiences of others. For example, youtube videos or sports highlights and things of that nature. As many people know experiencing something live is a complete different experience than watching it on a screen. Due to that I feel strongly that too much time on the computer can lead to depression
There are several different ways for humans to "feel fully alive" and they all depend on that specific person. I don't know what exactly activates our senses and why it does but I agree that many human beings benefit greatly from direct and natural experiences which helps activate their senses. Being an active part of the world around you and feeling "part of nature" as Jared Grano felt is very important for personal growth and feeling fully alive, whatever that means. Particularly with nature, I've had very few experiences when I felt anywhere close to the phenomenon that the reading tries to explain. Like Jared Grano, I was largely impressed and dumbstruck by the magnificence of Grand Canyon the first time seeing it but then grew weary of it quite rapidly and now am sick of it after visiting it over 15 times. However when I visited Kashmir for a week this past summer is the time I truly appreciated nature for the first time and felt my senses activated to an extent.
ReplyDeleteAs refreshing as nature can be, simple interaction with other people are as important, if not more. Not everyone gets the chance to visit or sight-see nature; everyone can spend time with other people. People who spend more time on the Internet than others do suffer higher depression if just that factor is included. But there are many more things that should be taken into account when looking at things that affect depression. I feel that people who spend an excessive amount of time on online routinely instead of getting out more often are living with a false sense of happiness. Whether that leads to a sense of emptiness then loneliness and eventually depression is something I am not sure of. But people who have IA definitely don't have their senses activated and for sure never "feel fully alive."
I feel a direct, natural experience is necessary for one to truly understand the feeling of being "fully alive." For most of the environments we live in, this type of experience is not common. We are used to personal interaction, a mind set of completing a task, and trying to make it alive to the next day. We participate in this cycle continuously. For the times when our minds aren't occupied with a goal, we take the open time for the most simple actions of rest, or a more relaxed interaction with our friends and family. With this being the way we spend our days, our bodies and senses become accustomed to our regular actions. The experiences encountered in nature, smelling, hearing, tasting, seeing, are all independent experiences. We need intimate experiences with our minds, with the land, and with the world as it is in its natural habitat. Often we get caught up in the superficial world we have created amongst ourselves, and that can lead to a disconnect with what is natural- our thoughts, our emotions, and our world. I think it is vital for a persons spirit to reconnect with the land and the ground in our minds. We get too big of heads sometimes and lose touch with what is at the base of life its self.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, I would agree with the internet user fact. I would have to agree with Jordan in the sense that a personal experience is completely different from a virtual experience. I also agree with the idea that people who use the internet excessively confine themselves to a virtual reality rather that interacting with an actual reality.
I think that a lot of relationships in this reading are falsely interpreted. The author immediately tries to prove his argument that all people have to be in contact with nature to have their senses "awakened." So, he presents situations of people in nature like the father and son and the lion. The father ..."realized that he could not remember the last time he had used all of his senses so acutely" (667) after they realized the lion had circled them. The author suggests that this heightened sense was due to the fact that the father and son were outside instead of staring at computer screens. But I don't think this is completely accurate. I think that the reason his senses are heightened, like the kids exploring the mountainside, is because he is in an unfamiliar place. People do not use their senses in familiar areas because when people do the same thing everyday, everything can be accomplished on "auto-pilot." However if you are driving on a new highway, visiting a new town, or galavanting in the wilderness, your senses will be heightened because you have to be conscious of your actions.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the claim that people who spend more time on the internet are suffering from higher depression is also questionable to me. Obviously there is data to support the statement, but I just wonder how well it was interpreted or delivered. Maybe it is not the computer that makes people depressed but that depressed people turn to the internet instead of social interaction as an outlet for their feelings.
Despite my viewpoint on the arguments in the reading, I do think that people should value nature and the experiences that come with it. But some people physically cannot appreciate something that is completely foreign to their lifestyle. Therefore, I simply think it is important to explore things and learn-- that is how everyone can heighten their senses or feel alive.
Do we need natural interactions to be fully alive as humans? I would answer yes to this question but would put a disclaimer on it. While I believe its true that natural experiences do stimulate your senses, I believe this isn't the only way they can be stimulated in this way. As the text suggests, I also believe that any simulation of nature can also get the job done so one doesn't need to be "in nature" to get the same stimulation. One could be in a simulator and as long as the breeze is right, the smell is right, the climate is right, and the sounds are right, we can trick ourselves into having natural experiences without having to be in nature. This could still allow people to be "fully alive" without having to "experince 'natural' nature".
ReplyDeleteIn regards to question 2, I would say there is some validity to this. From personal observations, I know that, at least in my family, people who spend too much time looking at a computer screen are generally shorter tempered and angrier that people who spend their time interacting with others and spending time with them. The people who interact with each other are generally happier than those who confine themselves to the internet and its wonders, never forming strong relations with others. Then when they finally want to talk, no one really knows how to interact with them and they feel ignored,left out, and overall depressed.
After reading this story and based off my personal experiences, I do believe that we need direct and natural experiences in order to feel fully alive. Sure, there are several things that people occupy their time with that may be temporarily satisfying, but video games or spending too much time on Facebook will eventually become draining. When we spend too much time doing the same exact routine, we forget what it feels like to experience new and exciting things, and we as humans, desire that and need that in order to be joyful. Our society and culture today has somewhat created a disconnect between humans and nature because of other material items we deem as more important. Eventually, we become numb to this because we are accustomed to it and we don't experience anything new. In order to live a full and happy life, it is essential that one creates more direct and natural experiences.
ReplyDeleteLastly, I completely agree with the fact that people suffer from higher depression if they spend an excessive amount of time on the Internet. This relates back to the previous question in the sense of being closed off from nature and not experiencing new things. Although this is completely normal in our society today, the amount of time people spend on the Internet is extremely damaging and harmful. When we are trapped in a routine, it gets hard to experience joy in doing the same thing day after day after day, especially if it includes being sucked in by the Internet for hours at a time. Yes, one could argue that there are several factors that cause depression and it depends for each person, but I think without a doubt that constant use of the Internet every single day is one of them.
1. I believe that as humans one requires natural experiences to activate senses because utilizing all ones senses makes understanding experiences more knowledgeable. For example, if I were to bake a cake and all I did was read the directions online then I would miss out on the actual taste, smell, and experience it takes to create one. I also think that if someone were to go through life trying to read about it instead of going out there and experiencing it for them selves, they would miss out and gather faux knowledge about the subject. As a result, people wouldn’t feel very alive because their experiences they gather in life aren’t very accurate. The information may be correct but the substance that one takes away from the experience would be absent.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t agree that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression because one can find pleasure on the Internet. If it interests someone to surf the web and find new information and events then why would it make them depressed if they are doing something they enjoy? People interact just as much through the Internet as they do in real life. It doesn’t make anyone more depressed than someone else just because they surf the web more. In addition, how does one measure depression and how does one know if Internet affects depression or if it is another outside cause. Overall, I believe that people who spend more time on the Internet do not suffer higher depression than those that don’t surf the web as much.
Yes, I do believe we do need direct contact and at least some natural experiences in our life. If we never come in direct contact with people, we will never truly feel human. For instance, a mother holds their children near to here and it gives their child comfortable and safe environment. Babies aren’t able to communicate verbally so they respond through physical touch. Louv makes a good point when he says that baby primates will die without any physical contact and that is a necessity for their survival. Also, if we never see the outside world or come in contact with others, we have lost all the traits of what it is to be human. All that remains after you take away direct contact with your surrounds is just an object of this world with no concept of reality. We do let technology dictate our lives at times. We believe we know everything because of all the information available on the internet. I know from personal experience because the Colorado shooting that took place in a theater not too long ago affected one of my friends. I heard about it and I felt bad about it, but didn’t really understand the feelings there. I talked to my friend or was physically there and knew people that were shoot and killed in that theater. He was frightened and worried sick making phone calls to a bunch of people. He had to attend a funeral for one of his friends who got killed. Also, he had to hear other people who took the shooting as a joke and were making jokes on the internet about the shooting. Those people making “harmless” jokes were not there to experience such a horrific event and took it for granted. To conclude, I do believe we need physical contact with our surroundings to preserve the humanity of the world otherwise we are no different than the machines and electronics we use.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to say if an individual needs direct, natural experiences in order to activate ones senses and feel completely alive. However, from my own personal experiences and travels throughout the world I feel as if my eyes have been opened to the fact that there is so much more beyond what we typically see. Having traveled to Costa Rica three summers in a row now, I have had the opportunity to fully appreciate another natural environment, culture, and way of life. Experiencing the beaches, jungles, and environmental differences gave me a true sense of the beauty of life. There is so much that the world has to offer and often people get stuck in this constringent idea that things need to stay the same or that they should simply exist in the same environment. Picking up, starting over, and learning to adjust to other environments only makes a person grow and evolve. The prevalence of nature in Costa Rica and my constant interaction with it on my trips gave me a rich sense of our resources and heightened my senses to feel more alive. The sunsets at the beach, hiking in the jungles, and dealing with the constant rain -storms gave me a deeper sense of how nature can enhance ones life. Essentially the environment in Costa Rica gave me a much more laid back, unstressed attitude and I felt so much happier being somewhere that had so much to offer through nature.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not. People, who are typically on the Internet on a regular basis, are substituting time with their friends or loved ones for Internet activities. This creates a cycle of becoming non- social and continuing the habit of solitude. Like anything, the Internet can become addictive and individuals may feel the need to spend more and more time on the Internet. Sacrificing time with friends and family for Internet activities can lead to loneliness, and depression. Individuals who spend more time on the Internet are more likely to spend that time alone or by themselves instead of going out for dinner or engaging in activities with friends. This habitual pattern of spending time alone on the internet rather than going out and socializing is what makes me believe that individuals who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression.
ReplyDeleteI think that perhaps this question is just badly worded, because I don't think you need to activate your senses to feel truly alive. For example, I don't consider people who are blind or deaf to be dead. Using your senses has nothing to do with feeling alive. However, I can easily recognize the merit in having this experience. It reminds me of a writing assignment I had to do a couple of years ago, and it was our task to go outside and just sit. Sit and observe nature from our backyard or something similar, and we were to write about our experience. When I went outside, I began to write. I wrote about how all I could hear was cars driving by, and annoying neighborhood kids playing in the road. You can't see stars. You can't smell anything. It's all very dull, and I didn't even live in a suburban area. Recently, I took a camping trip up to the Mogollon Rim outside of Payson with some friends of mine, and the entire experience was riveting. The sights, the smells, and most of all the freedom. You can just run around and scream at the top of your lungs and not a single thing changes. Screaming in a suburban neighborhood will get the police called. I think that nature does not necessarily make us feel "more alive," but it certainly gives a different perspective on feeling that is not necessary, but beneficial to a good life.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as there was a study on how those who spend more time on the internet are most likely to become depressed, I suppose I would have to agree with it. In addition, I don't think you can easily substitute face to face human connection with electronic. In example, if you were to receive an email from your crush, you would probably be excited. If they were to call you, you'd be even more excited, because their voice makes the connection more tangible. However, if they showed up at your doorstep, I'm pretty sure you'd be more excited than ever. Tangible relationships without a doubt outdo online ones, but I also believe online connections are better than none.
I do agree with the fact that people who spend more time on the internet suffer higher depression than those who do not. This is because they do not get experience much interaction with other humans and they do not get the opportunity to use all 5 senses so to speak. You can lose sight on how to even speak to others in public. It seems like if you spend too much time on the internet you become desensitized to your surroundings, your emotions, and others emotions. Typing things to others is not sufficient because you cannot include emotion, or physical interaction. I honestly do believe that this author is a little dramatic about some things regarding internet, technology, and electronics. It seems Richard Louv wants all of us to sit in the woods and live there with nothing but tools to make food. We have to give some credit to our technology and electronics because they make our world what it is today and provides jobs for many, entertainment, and a great way to communicate with loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that as humans, in order to get that feeling of being alive we need natural experiences. When does one have feel exhilarated in front of a computer monitor? When does someone feel like they are full of wonderment when in front of a tv screen? Our experiences do not vary enough for our senses to be stretched and to experience things anew that can surprise and astonish you. Our lives have become to monotonous surrounded by cityscape and technology to feel alive. I say this from experience as well as from reasoning. Some of my best memories, when I've felt most alive, have been when I've been outdoors and away from the cities, instead I was isolated in nature. Mother nature provides so much variety as well that you can never cease to be amazed as long as you keep exploring.
ReplyDeleteThe reading cites only one study pointing to the fact that people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not and not only admits it to be controversial but also gives no details on how the conclusion was found. I have to question if in fact this is causative or actually correlative. However, I do believe that those who spend inordinate amounts of time online will inevitably feel lonely and a lack of affection which could lead to depression.
I believe to truly experience being human, one must become one with nature. Just feeling the breeze outside on a sunny day makes a person feel alive. Even walking around barefoot and eating organic food makes one have that "natural" feeling. When being in front of a computer screen all day makes a person feel anxious and restless, and in the case of the reading sometime it can make you feel depressed. I think is because the light of screen hurts your eyes, and the being surround by four walls makes for bad air circulation, and sitting in one position foe hours makes your body feel bad
ReplyDeleteTo an extent, the author’s uneasiness about this generation’s experience with nature strikes me as that pervasive fear that young people are going to destroy the world. I almost laughed at his description of learning about nature through a car window; ancestors of his had somewhat more visceral experiences with long-distance travel without the help of Henry Ford. It's easy to foster concern when the people you're accusing are young and lack the communication skills and maturity necessary to show you you're wrong. Do you really expect a 15-year-old to have identified and put words to a spiritual oneness with nature?
ReplyDeleteI will not debate that nature is absolutely an important part of human life. There are little life lessons, not human lessons but lessons about life as a whole, that one gleans from climbing a tree, catching a fish, hiking a trail, or listening and not hearing traffic and ventilation systems.
But that we suffer sensory deprivation as a result of computers is a claim I disagree with. Taken to extremes, any behavior is harmful, whether it be exercising or chatting with friends or spending time online. This “Internet Addiction” he speaks of is this crazy excess that only a tiny proportion of any population suffers from. Most people, not just a few, like the author contends, but most have some experience with nature as far as I have seen. Most people would probably agree with him that “those people” who spend all their time online are sad and deprived. Then they would struggle and fail to find examples of “those people” from their own lives. They would nevertheless assume that such people exist, however, and make vague generalizations about them like Louv does in this piece.
In my opinion, all humans may not need direct natural experiences in order to feel fully alive, but to appreciate everything nature has to offer be well rounded and educated on various things in life one needs to have direct and natural experiences. I see it as when we always go to our parents for answers about anything and everything that we do not know the answer to because parents always have an answer to every question, the reason why our parents have reasonable and believable answers is not because they are always correct, but because they are well rounded and are familiar with many topics. As mentioned in “A life of the Senses”, children are going to be glued to the t.v in the car instead of observing different landscapes while on a road trip. Simple things like looking out the car window or taking a hike instead of driving up a mountain are experiences that educate people which in some peoples opinion is feeling fully alive.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that people who spend more time on the internet suffer from higher depression than others who spend less time on the internet. In most cases when you are on the computer/internet you are not socializing with another person because you are busy looking at the computer screen, therefor you are alone when you could be around people. Surfing the internet can also be addicting in a way because you may only go on to look up one thing, but from all the ad’s and links available it is easy to get side tracked into looking at other things that were not intended which could eventually result in you being on the internet for hours instead of a few minutes, which takes time from your day you could be doing physical activities, not sitting at a desk.
I believe that as human beings we need direct, natural experiences to activate our senses and feel fully alive. Speaking from personal experience, there is nothing better than being out in the wilderness, completely alone, and literally feeling the energy of all the nature around you. I also believe though, that one does not have to be in the middle of dense forest to do this though. One can feel alive simply by being outside, wherever they are, and taking the time to stop and look around them, really listen to all the noises and notice all the people around them. We lose this sense of feeling fully alive because of our busy lives, and people forget to stop and look around every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to question two, I cannot say I completely agree with the statement that people who spend more time on the internet suffer from more depression than people who do not. A person can spend a lot of time of the Internet and still lead a happy, fulfilled, busy life. However, if a person relies on the Internet as their only source of happiness, then yes, I do believe they could potentially be more depressed. It is obvious that people who spend more time actually engaging in real life conversations and activities are happier because, most of the time, engaging in activities face-to-face lead to a more satisfactory and fulfilled sense of happiness.
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ReplyDeleteIn regard to the first question, I would say that direct, natural stimulus is essential for us to truly experience what it means to be human. While technology has certainly improved the efficiency of our lives, it has also made modern human interaction and experiences slightly impersonal, artificial and contrived. I think "natural experiences" have a tendency to put life into perspective and allow us time to reflect. I do understand how there could be a correlation between depression and frequent internet usage. To put it simply, the internet is not a substitute for live, in-person interaction and experiences and is certainly not as fulfilling. In addition, we may start to compare our reality to the stories, images, etc. that we see on the internet and conclude that our lives are lacking in comparison, resulting in depression. Overall, I think it's important to disengage from technology every once in a while and not let it consume or dictate our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteHumans don't need nature to be fully alive. Not human likes going into nature or has the opportunity to. Both question are going to extremes. You're asking if you never go live in a forest if you have truly lived or if our technological age is causing people to be more depressed. How people feel fulfillment in life differs from every person. Personally I will have only lived half a life if I never got around to see the natural wonders of the world. So in my personal case i value natural experiences, but as human beings i don't believe this is valued or has to be for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree that people who spend more time on who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression. The internet is a very superficial and unreal place. When you spend all you're time on the internet you start getting a warped sense of reality. For our age group long amounts of time spent of facebook can cause depression because you start comparing your life to other people you know. On facebook people only post pictures of them having fun and while you're sitting there alone. Long time spent on the internet defiantly causes depression.
I feel fully alive everyday of my human life, just because I ain't living in a cave, picking apples or bananas from tree make me less alive. As our own species as humans we have evolved just like every other species, the only thing is we are a more intelligent from the rest of the animals. We just made our valleys, mountains, islands and deserts more accommodating to our needs as a human in this era. Yes, we're not living in the forest or going out of the city to find foot or shelter to live in, but we use all of our five senses daily. For example we smell constantly to be aware of any harmful smells or even too look for a scent that smells good enough to eat. We see everyday of our human life, seeking out for any danger coming our way or even to gather information. Humans are separated from nature but our actions our natural and our five senses help survive each day. We might feel a change in our senses when were separated from our domesticated life's, but to say that makes us fully alive is just nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say everyone who spends more time in the Internet will suffer from higher depression. It really depends on what that person is doing on the Internet. I would say people who search for material on the internet that a human shouldn't be seeing or reading constantly our the ones who suffer depression, because they might find some article or something controversial that is completely false but conviencing to them making them fear that thing that they have just read. Maybe a person is constantly on Facebook and they stock their lover, while stocking that person they might find a conversation going on between their lover and another person; not knowing what the intentions of the conversation is about the person stocking them might come in conclusion thinking that their lover is cheating, so the stocker starts to panic and become depressed because they just found out their lover is cheating, but in fact the lover isn't but since he doesn't know that person will stay depressed until confronting their lover and finding out the truth. I think that's a way a person can become depressed on the Internet. Also the news, people who read the new may be too informed causing them to change their views in life; causing a person to think that everything they thought life was about was false making them depressed. It's very complicated.
I agree that nature is fine and dandy, but the way this particular reading presents the dichotomy of nature and city is too narrowly focused towards the author's point to be convincing. One could just as eloquently write an essay about how sensually rich city life is. Of course, this is not to say that sensory stimulation isn't necessary. It's an integral part of quality of life. But the assumption that it springs only from nature is just as superficial as the society this essay decries.
ReplyDeleteAs for the rates of depression, that study is old. It was probably hard not to be depressed with the connection speeds of 1998, to say nothing of the lack of content in general. But really, I can totally see how it would at least appear that people who use the internet for large amounts of time are more depressed. Most of the internet that people who spend a lot of time on is dedicated to conversation, and is usually relatively anonymous. In these spaces, people are more inclined to talk about what bothers them, and in these echo chambers a definite culture of depression and despair can form. Also, the internet, for all its apparent social use, does not provide real human interaction, contributing to depression. To blame the depression on the internet, however, is a fallacy. Most of the depression comes from the isolation and the lack of emotional repression in frequent users.
It is interesting to find out that this week’s blog deals with the topic of depression. The topic I am writing about this semester also deals with depression. Who is affected by and how it affects people. Is it a sickness or is it just some mental illness that people develop? I believe with all the research I been doing that depression does not just come or develop simply for just spending too much time staring at a computer screen. I believe the person already is dealing with depression which is why they have resorted to the hours a day on the internet. Depression is an insidious disease and those who suffer from it can try but never find a way out of it. It is a black hole that consumes the very daylight out of their lives. I believe the time they spend on the internet is just a way they try and cope with their depression. So to answer the question do people who spend more time on the Internet suffer from higher depression than people who do not? The answer is not necessarily. Someone can suffer from depression and never look at a computers screen even if their life depended on it. That question is just a horrible question if you ask me. That thought is a false assumption assuming that all those who spend more time on the computer are suffering from depression.
ReplyDeleteI believe that being in touch with nature is important to fully experiencing life; however, I do not think that living in a technology-based society necessarily makes us deficient human beings. "These young people are smart, they grew up with computers, they were supposed to be superior--but now we know that something's missing" (673). Louv is rather pointedly referring to our generation when he says this, which I do not think is fair. A connection with nature is important, and it is refreshing to go and experience life outside of the city every once in awhile. But the fact that we are human beings means that we are separated from the rest of living creatures by our ability to reason. Advancing our reasoning capabilities (with certain limits of course) is what we are expected to do--it's in our nature (pun intended). So we should experience nature to remind ourselves that technology should not consume our lives, but I do not think we need to experience nature every day of our lives in order to feel 'truly alive.'
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is extremely non-touchy-feely, I was a little disturbed by the apparent consequences of our hands-off society. Being absorbed by the internet is something that many people today excel at, and I agree that that can be dangerous. Now, many of my friends go to different colleges and the only opportunity I have to see them is to use the internet. We cannot be blamed for advancing technology to connect with loved ones that we perhaps cannot see in person. We can, however, be blamed for using these same technologies to distance ourselves from people who are easy to see and talk to in person. The idea that we are surrounded by technologies that can connect us with almost anyone and yet be more alone than ever before in history is not a new one. Sadly, I do not doubt its veracity.
Im not sure we necessarily NEED direct, natural experiences to feel fully alive, but for me i would have to say yes. For some people though it may be different as we all have different values. For me personally it comes down to just getting the most out of my life, and to do that im going to have to have those direct, natural experiences in life if i really want to live. However, i think it just comes down to what you value in life. If you want to be a cave dweller then more power to you. However, in my opinion you won't be getting the most out of this life that you were given. This life is full of experiences to be had, and it's those experiences which really makes me glad to be alive.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the second question goes, i dont believe that the internet can make someone more depressed. Maybe the fact that depressed people may want to stay away from others and thus spend more time at home would have something to do with it. You could probably just as easily argue that people who spend x amount of time more watching tv a week are on average more depressed as well.
I believe that it is completely necessary to have natural experience to feel fully alive. As human beings, have been "designed" biologically like other animals to thrive on experience. Vitamin D from the sunlight is necessary and that is a factor on why people who spend much time on the internet are more likely to suffer depression. In addition, human interaction is necessary to happiness. Upon further thought, one will find that laughter and happiness arises from interaction from other humans. Movies, comedies, and video games are just artificial simulations of the interactions and therefore are not true substitutes for real interaction.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for being late.
ReplyDeleteTo the first question I answer no. But for sake of having more words I will give my reasoning that nature does not directly influence someone's feeling of "being alive." I would safely argue that drinking enough water and eating enough food and sleeping enough hours will make you more alive than nature will. Nature is pleasant to look at and to be submerged in, which is why I think every city should have nature accessible to everyone, and it has actually been shown that more wide-open parks and things of that sort have lowered the crime rate. People have submerged themselves in nature and it has lead their ultimate unhappiness. As humans we need so much more than just walking in forests and sitting in tall grasses. We can never be truly satisfied with anything from this world; but that is a different topic.
Since it is a fact I agree with it. I don't think internet hours and depression are a direct correlation. Outside of some of the truly gruesome and depressing content on the internet, people who spend more time on the internet may be lonely or may be searching for that feeling of satisfaction. The internet won't fill any emptiness of fulfill any longing, and if people search for that via the internet, they will not find it. Jesus said in John 4:13-14 that He supplies the only water that can eternally quench. He wasn't referring to a literal water that you could drink and never have to drink again, but to a satisfaction that will quench our hearts' thirst that we seek so earnestly. The woman He was speaking with was trying to fill this emptiness she felt, and whether it is surfing web pages for hours, making fortunes and accomplishing all of life's goals, or, in her case, having five husbands and then sexual relations with a fifth man with whom she is not married, Jesus satisfies this thirst. And this satisfaction in Him is not merely palliative, but everlasting.
In my opinion, I don't think that people need physical interaction in order to obtain fullness in life. I mean if somebody is virtually happy or enthusiastic, then the emotions are still flowing. The way I see it, accomplishments and success can be obtained in many different ways. If someone finds happiness on a football field or a monitor, the get the same rush when they achieve something. Another thing to consider is that some people are more actively social online than in real life. They just express themselves differently.
ReplyDeleteI don't think people who surf the internet often are more likely to suffer from depression than those who don't. In fact, I think it's the other way around. The internet is such a powerful resource now and days. I believe that the internet connects people who are unable to be together. With websites like Facebook, twitter, instagram and many more other social network engines, one could keep in touch with anybody. If anything, people who don't use the internet are more depressed because they are not connected with the world.
Personal you don’t need direct or natural experience to fully feel alive. To feel alive can simple be just be breathing, I understand that when you feel over whelmed with the things that you have to do in a daily basis such as work or school it becomes a habit that might cause you to think that your just robotically doing the things you need to do. But if you just sit for a minute and really think about what you’re doing and why, that’s life right there. To say “to feel fully alive”, might not be the right wording because everyone feel alive just the fact of having feelings now if you say “feel fully productive with your life” then that would be different.
ReplyDeleteNow with the other question about the internet it seems pretty harsh to say, “Suffer from high depression”. Look at it this way majority of successful people had to go to school such as college or grad school all of that process causes a person to be in the internet for half of the day. Internet did not cause them to go depressed. I think that those that have a low self-esteem feel that their life has no meaning and being in the internet causes them to think about the things that they could be doing instead of being on the computer. It all depends on the actual person not the internet.