Penn Name | Mind over (digital) matter

I simply can’t unplug anymore, and it is not my fault. I receive e-mails from professors and TAs all day and all night. I check Blackboard for my homework assignments. I do said homework assignments on my laptop while I listen to music on iTunes because everything I submit to my teachers must be typewritten. I conduct internet research when the assignment warrants it. By the end of the day, my fingers are cramped, my shoulders hurt from slouching over the computer and I have a throbbing headache from staring at the screen so long. Then, at night, I cannot fall asleep for hours.

I realize that Penn is just preparing us for the outside world where many of us will have to spend hours at work filling out spreadsheets and writing reports, but it turns out technology is harming our health. Even in this digitally advanced age, we shouldn’t become compromised by our gadgets.

Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are not the only physical illnesses we can develop from overusing the computer. According to the Southern California College of Optometry, computer overuse can also lead to Computer Vision Syndrome. CVS, simply put, refers to all vision problems associated with working at the computer too long, including photosensitivity, double vision, blurred vision and headaches. What is scariest is that we have all experienced at least one of these symptoms, and many of us on a regular basis. The Southern California College of Optometry reports that as a nation we spend an estimated $1.15 to $2 billion on eye exams related to CVS symptoms every year.

We cannot afford to allocate this amount of money to treat a preventable illness. More importantly, we cannot afford for CVS and other computer-related injuries to affect our work and leisure activities.

Increased computer usage also affects our brains. According to The New York Times article “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime,” not only does using the computer non-stop increase stress, but it also quashes innovation and creativity. We cannot learn or remember new material if we are constantly plugged in. Experts quoted in the article said computers may help us think faster, but not necessarily better.

In a time when everything moves quickly, innovation is more important than speed. We need technology to do everything from decreasing global warming to fighting famine. Speeding up the process is comparable to giving the people on an assembly line Red Bulls when what we really need are more Henry Fords — it is a temporary solution that is neither sustainable nor cost-effective.

Lastly, increased computer usage, whether as a result of increasingly computer-based curriculums or our obsession with technology, is causing us to lose sight of the real world. We are so used to turning on our iPods every time we walk outside that we sometimes forget what nature sounds like. We forget that we can meet our friends for lunch rather than simply chatting with them on Skype, and we post pictures on Facebook so that people know we are “cool.” Instead of picking up a book, we pick up a Kindle. And now, to make things worse, even if we try to get back in touch with the real world, we cannot because we must do all our work on the computer as well.

If we spend both our work and leisure time on the computer, then what else is left?

Many students are overwhelmed with the necessity of using the computer both to stay socially connected and to maintain a high GPA. Unfortunately, society is too enamored with, and dependent on, the digital world to ever unplug. It’s up to us to take the initiative over our mind and body. As our health becomes compromised, and our sense of vision deteriorates, we must never lose sight of our main priority: real, tangible life. Laura Cofsky is a College sophomore from New York. Her e-mail address is cofsky@theDP.com. Penn Name appears on Fridays.

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