By: Cassidy Bittenbender
So for my hour of technology I decided to spend it watching none other than Netflix for way longer than one hour might I add. My roommates and I started watching Jane the Virgin when we moved into our new apartment, which currently has mold infested AC vents so that’s been fun. We somehow managed to watch all 5 seasons in a few weeks. Not my biggest accomplishment. Not sure why we watched it either, it wasn’t even that good. Honestly, I learned nothing from the show other than the fact that it was extremely unrealistic and that my roommates and I could desperately use that hour of being outside.
Ah, nature. There’s nothing I love more than relaxing outside at a park or the beach. Fun fact: I am majoring in Environmental studies and I’m allergic to grass. I like to make things harder for myself I guess. For the purpose of this assignment I actually sat still as I did watching TV to really compare the difference. I was surrounded by trees, some water, a few birds, flies of course, and the unbearable heat. Being from Florida I should be used to the heat by now but I’m still not. Despite being extremely hot and itchy, I still enjoyed that hour underneath the branches more than the time I spent on my tiny couch. It was so peaceful sitting out there on my own and the wind being the only thing making noise as it rustled through the trees. What did I learn? That nature is effortlessly beautiful and always wear sunscreen.
What I liked most about this assignment is that it made me think about what’s really important. I definitely could’ve lived without watching 100 episodes of Jane the Virgin. I could have spent 100 hours hiking or swimming or walking and appreciating the planet we live on. As I got older I began to care more about the well-being of the Earth and pollution, climate change, endangered animals and so on. But, I started spending less time outside even though that’s all I wanted to learn about. I would watch documentaries and Nat Geo and travel videos, wishing I could be there instead of appreciating what was right outside of my walls. It’s like when you try to take a picture of the sunset on your phone and it NEVER captures the same colors you see with the naked eye. Even though I spent a lot of time educating myself with the help of the internet and TV and social media, I lost my physical connection with nature while building my mental one. Balance is critical to everything. I have been wavering in mine but I’m going to work on getting my balance back.