People of all ages have found the best ways to stay healthy and happy. They have discovered how to maintain their highest well being. Through positive personal relationships, exercising and eating right, and all of the forms of never ending creations of technology that we have within this world, we are able to be our best selves.
A person’s personal relationships are one of the main elements to having a beautiful well being and staying happy. Studies have shown that talking about the problems you encountered throughout your day with a loved one can help alleviate negative feelings associated with this problem (Diamond & Hicks, 2008). Simply using speed dial to reach your significant other, a quick text message, or even a short e-mail, expressing the problem to them, will already put you into a happier mood; and the happier you are, the healthier you are. Take Suzie for example. She discovered, while working that an order for a product was not sent out in time; creating a problem for the company she works for because they will not receive the product when they need it. Suzie did her part in the order and someone else dropped the ball. However, Suzie works side by side with this other person, and she is at fault as well. Being upset by this situation, Suzie sent a quick text message to her best friend stating how frustrated she was. Her best friend, after receiving the message three seconds later, sent her a message trying to calm her down. Immediately after sending out the text message, Suzie already felt better. Her stress level lowered and she realized that there is a solution to the problem. Having close friend to discuss a problem with, allows one to feel better quicker. Having her cell phone to send this message improved Suzie’s well-being. This is also an example of how technology increases and enhances our social connectivity (Bargh & McKenna, 2004). Social interactions bring about many positive effects, as studies have shown (Diament, 2008). Talking with someone else, whether it is face to face or through computer mediated communication, not only gets people out of a rut within their life, but communication can also help a person reduce memory sapping depression, as well as warding off diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s (Diament, 2008). Suzie is not only helping her self stay healthy and fit today, but also in her future.
Another way a person can improve their health and well being is through exercising and eating right. A great new way of doing exercise is through the Wii Fit, by Nintendo. This is a video game that any one can use. The Wii Fit offers many different ways of exercise, all which are fun and entertaining. This is a mat that you stand on, and you are able to do yoga, strength training and even balancing exercises ( WII). It is a computer interactive game that can interpret your movements. The Wii Fit, as exciting as it is, is a new form of the idealogy of technology. Burnett and Marshall, (2004) define idealogy of technology as “whatever is current appear to be normal, natural and appropriate” (p.9). Brian has used the Wii Fit for three months now. Not only has this exercise released endorphins throughout his body, fighting depression and making him feel happier and healthier, but exercising also is good for a person’s brain. As stated by
Diament (2008), “exercise reduces or delays the onset of pathological changes in the brain that lead to cognitive impairment.” Since using the Wii Fit, Brian’s response time has increased as well as improvement of his memory. Learning how to use a computer game boosts a person’s neural connections, thus, increasing things like response time and memory (Boerner). Exercise has kept Brian’s well being as best as it can, and through the technology of today that offers people Wii Fit, there are many more options in working out.
Technology today offers us many ways in order to stay healthy and provide us all with a beautiful well being. For Christmas, Mark received an Amazon Kindle. A Kindle is a device where you can purchase and download books and put them right into the Kindle. The Kindle is much lighter than a book, weighing only 10.3 ounces (amazon.com, 2009). This wireless device allows a person to download up to two hundred books, receiving them instantly into the Kindle (amazon.com, 2009). Since Mark has had the Kindle, his levels of stress and anxiety have decreased. He has made tremendous self-improvement and has made more positive life choices than ever before. Reading improves a person’s vocabulary skills, language and comprehension skills (www.nhs.org, 2008). Mark was struggling with his parent’s divorce when he received the Kindle. He has downloaded several books about coping with divorce, which have helped him tremendously. Reading has increased Mark’s health and well being abundantly.
All in all, there are many success stories out there of people who have improved their health and well being through different things. Technology today offers us many
different choices in staying healthy and happy. The things listed above, and millions more options are available to help you become your own success story!
Works Cited
(2008). NHS Choices: Your Health, Your Choices. What are the Benefits of Reading? Downloaded on April 22, 2009 from http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/2343.aspx.
Amazon.com. Downloaded on April 22, 2009 from http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA.
Bargh, J. A., & McKenna, K. Y. A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 573-90.
Boerner, Heather. Fifty Ways to Boost Your Noodle: Want To Keep Your Brain In Shape? Work It. Downloaded on April 22, 2009 from http://www.aarp.org/health/healthyliving/brain_health/articles/noodle_boosters.html.
Burnett, R., & Marshall, P. D. (2003). Web theory: An introduction. New York: Routledge.
Diament, Michelle. (2008). Make New Friends, Get Involved: Socializing is Good For Your Brain. Downloaded on April 22, 2009 from http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/diseases/articles/make_new_friends_get_involved_socializing_is_good_for_your_brain.html.
Diamond, & Hicks. (2008). How was Your Day? Couples’ affect when telling and hearing daily events. Personal Relationships. Vol. 15. 2.
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The statements you made about communication being important for your health is spot on. Daily communications are inevitable in society. The ability to do it electronically actually facilitates more communications with more people. For some people, like my wife, it is the only interaction she may have with me for up to 14 hours. I know this is good for her sanity and mental health with both of my children being in her sole care for this length of time. I also think that it is not always possible to have a conversation with someone for a length of time so sending them a quick text or picture message could be really important for the relationship. How important is it for you to maintain your relationships using electronic communications? Also Rosen(2007) gives us a good question to discuss which is “What kind of communities and friendships are we creating”(p.5)?
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Rosen, C. (2007). Virtual friendship and the new narcissism. The New Atlantis (electronic version). Downloaded on Sept. 25, 2007 from http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/17/rosen.htm.
I really liked your blog. It is very important to have some kind of support and connectedness to someone. CMC is a very positive way for those to stay connected, who cannot any other way. Bargh and McKenna stated that "Toronto suburbanites use it as another means of contacting friends ans family, especially when distance makes in-person and telephone communication difficult" (p. 574). Having a support system does make us healthier and live much longer lives.
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Bargh, J. A.,& McKenna, K.Y.A.(2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 573-90.
Very interesting points you make about happiness, health, and the internet. I agree that it important to be happy if you wish to be healthy. Because I think that happiness is so closely related to health I was very worried about the effects that the heavy use of the internet might have on my happiness seeing as it reduced my ftf interaction time with my friends. Unfortunately, my fears were realized and confirmed by Bargh and McKenna (2004) when their research discovered that the use of the internet had a negative effect on communication. It was found that the individualizing effect that CMC had on communication resulted in communicators becoming more self oriented and less socially regulated (2004). This self-oriented personality is not what I desired and it made me feel bad about myself. I wonder if you have any techniques or ideas that can help me to avoid falling into this trap.
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Bargh, J. A., & McKenna, K. Y. A. (2004). The internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 573-90.