Albert Einstein once said, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation full of idiots” (Einstein). Unfortunately, that day has already come as technology has far beyond exceeded human interaction. Fortunately, an event has been established to help the world unplug. “Shut Down Your Screen Week” (SFW) is an annual event, encouraging families, schools, and communities to turn off screens and “turn on life.” Instead of relying on digital entertainment, participants spend time with family, read, and get involved in life. Not only will SFW give more time for creativity and healthy activities, but also reduce the need for technology. Some people believe Shepherd Public schools should not participate …show more content…
Excessive use of the internet is connected with a variety of health risks. Amy Norton, author of “Kids still getting too much screen time” points out how digital technology may be destroying users’ health, “More screen time can be linked to obesity, higher blood pressure and cholesterol, problems at school and sleep loss” (Norton). Excessive technology use can increase children 's risk for health issues and concerns. The most dramatic impact is the reduction in the amount of sleep. Healthy sleep is critical for everyone, since there is a need to retain information and learn skills to thrive in life. In his article, Matt Richtel notes that constant digital stimulation creates attention problems for kids with brains that are still developing (Richtel). Because children’s brains are still developing and malleable, a lot of exposure to constant digital stimulation causes attention and other aspects of thinking to be greatly diminished. These things are fundamental to children’s growth and they need them to develop into happy and successful people. Living in an environment with no other choices but phones and computers, children can grow up to depend on technology, making their chances for health problems increase. Participating in SFW, students will have the chances to take a break from technology, catch up on some sleep, and most importantly, be more mindful of the costs of