April 2003
French articles
news
opinion
profile
entertainment
arts and expressions
about SNN
newsroom
classroom
magazine archives
links

OPINION

Learning 2 B Lazy
By: Matthew M., Grade 12, Marystown Central High, Marystown, NL

We use them every day. We look at them constantly like they’re a beautiful work of art. The only differences are: they break down, freak out, and can cause more stress than necessary! No, it’s not your car, or your girlfriend. It’s your computer!

In this day and age, we have come to depend on these pieces of metal and silicon every day of our lives. Can you seriously tell me that you haven’t used a computer in the last couple of days? I didn’t think so. Whether you use it for entertainment, school or work, our computers are beginning to do more work than our brain or our body does. And that’s not exactly the most healthy thing.

Okay, I will be the first one to admit that computers are a big help in our everyday lives. Producing clear, easy-to-read assignments for your teachers, making that perfect mixed CD and helping you talk to all your friends at once are just some of the highs of owning a computer. Also, they connect us to a world of knowledge, the Internet, where one can be whoever they want to, where one can learn about all sorts of things from how to write a good article to how to pick your nose. Computers suck our minds into another world completely, leaving our bodies hunched over in a leather chair, mouth hung open with the eyes fixed on the screen.

Here’s where the trouble begins, and I’ll try to keep it simple and clear. When was the last time you saw the light of day? Your body can only take so much lazing around. But if your idea of exercise is running to the bathroom to pee because you’ve held it so long, you’re certainly not overdoing it. Like plants, our bodies need to be watered, fed, and moved to a new location ever so often. We need the sunlight, we need the exercise, and we need the fresh air. I don’t need to explain why. And, not only are we neglecting our body, we are neglecting our minds as well. The slang of Internet chat can cause a lot of u 2 not speak ri8, or type 4 dat matter.

I’m not telling you to stop using computers. They’re a great invention that has made our lives easier and more fun. But, I am telling you to drag that butt of yours outdoors from time to time. Instead of meeting in an internet chat room, meet your friends for a jog, or just for a walk. Try to think of other ways to socialize and do your work without it having to be at your computer desk. Computers aren’t smarter than us. . . for most of us at least, so let’s prove this by having some fun without being behind the mouse and keyboard.


     



Back to Front Page