Among those languid Iphone users, approximately 50% are either watching a video clip or playing a game. Whatever they are doing, I had notice that they simply cannot take their eyes of the screen. I am not opposed to playing games and watching videos on Iphones, and I am usually entertained by the myriad of expressions I see on people's faces when they are engrossed in their games. I am referring to the sudden twitch or the furrowing of their brows when something unexpected happens in the plot of the game. I also appreciate the silence whenever I want to read during my journey.
Yet, I am not simply writing about the pleasure I gain from these merely superficial observations. I supposed my interest in train commuters' attitude is piqued by a statement my professor made when he claimed that we are essentially a product of what we are exposed to. Having said so, I would like to rephrase the statement into a question and asked, are individuals aware of the effects of the media they are exposing themselves to? Truth is, most people don't stop to think because they want to relax and unwind from the stress of work and life. Therefore, the thought of analyzing any form of entertainment is viewed to be mindless and mundane.
Yet our choice of entertainment for the purposing of unwinding should not contribute to the eventual deterioration of the mind. For instance indulging in hours mindless youtube videos or computer games can dull our ability to articulate intellectually because we are neither engaging the present knowledge we have. Knowledge left dormant can very easily grow to be non-existent. Most graduates do not realize the mental risks they are exposed to as they indulge freely in their video and games. Yet the problem can be easily rectify by developing a cultivating the habit of reading. Apelles Poh, the author of Live Well Love Much and Laugh Often concurs with me. He compares reading to exercising. Similar to our need to keep our bodies toned and fit through daily exercises, our minds can be tuned and sharpened through the constant engagement of new knowledge.
Reading need not be boring and mundane in natural. In fact, if we read about our topics of interest, we can easily sweep off our feet. Adding to that, the morning train ride can be an ideal reading time since no one talks and everyone plugged into their phones, thus why not relax with a good book before you reach the office? Therefore, we can still seek entertainment in the form of games and videos, however we need to be consciously fortifying our minds as well, otherwise all that we have learnt will be wasted.
