Let's take a walk!

A young man, who looked like a student, came running into the public bathroom that I was in with his face burning red. At the time, I was washing my hands in the washroom of a mall. I thought he was simply having a strong need to go! But, it turns out he wasn't. He went into a stall and then came right back out. I couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?” and he replied that had left his phone inside the bathroom stall. Fortunately, no one took it and he found it, thank goodness! Smartphones seem to have become the second most important thing in our lives.

According to some data, we pick up our phones once every 10 minutes on average. The data shows an average youth spends a whopping 4 or 5 hours a day using their phone. Smartphones are very convenient and devices of modernization. There is not a day that goes by that I don't use it, I know that! However, it is important to maintain a sense of distance from your smartphone.

We live in an age where careless and malicious information can spread very quickly. It is not only infectious viruses that are spreading around the world. It has gotten so bad that the term "infodemics" has been coined. According to a shocking book called "Smartphone Brain" our brains are now being hacked by smartphones.

My suggestion to combat this “infodemic”? Take a walk. It is a great way that anyone can use to protect themselves from the flood of information and keep a good distance from the smartphones. Walk away from your phone or computer for a little while and step outside. Take a slow walk through your town, feel the breeze on your face and smell that Spring is arriving soon. The scenery you will see will not be the fake background scenery on any screen. Enjoy the real air. Forget about productivities and efficiencies while walking.

It is said that the word "scatter" in the Japanese characters of "taking a walk" means "no time" or "no use". So taking a walk is not the same as going somewhere to fulfill some purpose. It's just a way to relax and spend some time. The refreshing feeling of a walk will lighten your mind and body. It recharges you so that you don't drown in a flood of information.