Everyday that goes by, man keeps on discovering new sorts of technology. Technology is often described as the use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. It seems to be the key to living a more than ever comfortable life, but perhaps its time to realise that technology also deceives us most of the time.
If one had to go anywhere in Malta, be it the playground, be it the village square or the supermarket, it is not too difficult to realise that Maltese people are amongst the most unfit people in Europe. Technology has helped us improve our way of life in a way that has increased efficiency but in doing so, it has also hindered most of the population from physical movement and contact.
Whether young children, youth, adults or elderly, everyone seems to be immersed in this so called Digital Era and the majority seem to grumble whenever the lift is out of order, or there is no escalator, or when they have Physical Education lessons at school, or when the bus stop is too far and they have to walk!
What happened to the Maltese children who constantly ran around, who were not easily tired out of playing catch and hide and seek?! What happened to the adults who used to take the stairs instead of the lift on their way to the office or to a shop?! No wonder, Maltese children are the second most obese in all the world. Surely there are many things we should be proud of as a population, but undoubtedly, this is not one of them!
But who do we blame for all of this passivity towards refursing to actually move to get something for ourselves or to get somewhere? Is it Mark Zuckerberg’s fault for creating the biggest distraction for most of us i.e. Facebook? How come the same men who create the technology that cures cancer, also create the technology which is one of the main causes of obesity in the first place?
We cannot really deny that we have become fully independent on technology and that although it has countless benefits it can also be a means to end for most of us. The lifestyle we lead as Maltese, is not really the healthies of all especially with our bad eating habits, however, one must understand the danger of being indifferent towards such a high percentage of obese people, most of which are children!
Just like everything else, too much of something is not the ideal. Definitely, too much fat is a dangerous thing to all the generations. The answer to this problem is to continue working on promoting a healthy lifestyle. However, maybe we are failing to realise that a healthy lifestyle is not just exercise and a balanced diet. It is also, moderation when it comes to usage of technology. Sitting for hours in front of a laptop or a smartphone screen whilst eaating pasta or a burger is stressful and unhealthy. Going to the gym and stopping every ten minutes to take a selfie or check your Facebook newfeed is just as unhealthy. Walking on the streets with loud music in your ears whilst chatting with friends on Messenger is harmful. Eating your food whilst swiping left and right on Tinder is not the best thing to do either.
Just like everything else, this problem depends on our choices. Will you choose to benefit from technology or to let it dominate your life?
