Thursday, May 7, 2020

Phone Addiction: It’s real, but it was inevitable

Cheyenne Carr
Staff Writer

I do think teens are addicted to their phones. I’m addicted to my phone, it’s a bad habit but that’s how I grew up. I grew up with two parents and two older siblings who were always on their phone. I used to think to myself: “Why are they always on their phone?” They used to always text when I was trying to talk to them. I thought to myself, that was so rude. But now I do the same thing. I know that parents and most teachers don’t like kids being on their phones 24/7 but that’s the environment we grew up in, they grew up in a completely different one.
  I think that phones should be allowed in class. Kids should be able to have the option of being on their phone during class or not. If a student is on their phone during class then it’s their fault if they are not paying attention. If a student has their phone in their backpack then they will always be thinking about who is texting them or trying to get in contact with them. I know it can be distracting but then it’s going to be the student’s problem when they don’t have any of the notes or have know idea what’s going on in class.
  Phones can make us feel connected and isolated. We feel connected because we’re always talking to someone on Snapchat or texting someone. How we use our phone for everything. But we can also feel isolated because we might be able to connect to someone over the phone but it’s not the same as connecting in person. There are no emotions or facial expressions over the phone. Kids my age don’t know how to have a real conversation with someone in person.

Tips for reducing stress as Lions face unsteady times

Belinda Henry and Kaitlyn Ardite
Staff Writers

Spring is a time of new beginnings but also rain and allergies. From coronavirus to testing to prom, we students have a lot of things that we are worried about this spring. Here are some ways to relax and give yourself a break from the turmoils of modern life.
  The benefits of meditation are extensive. It can reduce your body’s stress response, help control anxiety, and strengthen focus. Basically it is like weight lifting for your brain. Meditation has a certain connotation that might repel you, and it kind of sounds extremely boring. You might think that you have to have a long attention span to meditate, or that you have to do it for a really long time. Meditation is just sitting still, closing your eyes, and breathing. There is not only one way to meditate, and there are many guided meditations on youtube as well. Try sitting still and closing your eyes for 5 minutes. If you do this consistently, you will start to feel more aware of your thoughts and your reactions to your thoughts. It is a common misconception that you aren’t supposed to think at all when you meditate. You might find yourself thinking of new ideas, theories, or jokes. You might have trouble focusing due to a looming schedule or overwhelming workload. The trick isn’t to make these thoughts go away, just to notice them, and how they make you feel. By practicing meditation, you will be giving yourself the skills to relax and live in the moment instead of stressing about the future.
  Do you like to doodle? Doodling can help you zone out when you are bored, and help you to express yourself. This is actually very mindful! One popular form of art therapy is zentangling. Zentangles are a small design, repeated over and over, like drawing a checker print or pattern. If you google pictures of zentangles, the complicated drawings might seem daunting to attempt, but they are secretly pretty easy. There are so many different designs and tangles, and you can even make your own. Doing this can give you some of the same benefits as meditation. They can be very calming to make, and help to reduce anxiety and anxiousness. Focusing on the small details can help you zone out and destress, and express yourself through art. They are also extremely accessible to try, all you need is paper and a pen or pencil (and maybe your phone for tangle inspiration).
  We sit at our desks for most of the day hunched over our computers and homework. Being a student is tough on our spines and bodies, not just our brains. Yoga can be healing for both. There are many different types of yoga to suit your preferences, but most types will help you release body tension, which improves your mood, and direct you to breathe deeply, which helps you slow down and focus on the present moment. It doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes or if you can do a split on command, yoga is equally beneficial no matter what level you are at. Youtube has a vast array of yoga instructors who can guide you from the comfort of your own home, which is good for people who are shy about going to a public class, or people who don’t have the time/money. There is a large variety of yoga videos online. You could also go to a public class if you want to get feedback on your form/ you like doing yoga with a group.
  Everyone knows that exercise helps you improve your coordination, strength, and general fitness. Improving yourself physically can be one of the most motivating reasons to exercise. For example, you might want giant arm muscles so you can punch walls and impress people, or you might want to get really speedy so you can surprise everyone in the hallway with how fast you are so no one makes fun of you anymore. Besides physical improvement, exercise also helps to produce endorphins, a group of hormones that relieve stress and pain, and it reduces stress hormone levels. Exercising can clear your mind, because when you are working hard physically, your brain will be focused on doing that instead of thinking things like “will I be living the same day over and over until I retire”, or “I have 5 assignments due tomorrow and one hour to do them”. You might think you don’t have the time, but even a small amount of exercise can help you destress. High intensity interval training might be your go to if you only ever have a few minutes. Going on a run after school can be really relaxing, especially outdoors. Outdoors is more moodlifting because you can soak up that vitamin D, enjoy the warm weather, and spend time in nature. Strength training can help you develop a mind to muscle connection in addition to the hormonal benefits. There are countless benefits to regular exercise.
  Taking a nap can be beneficial to your stressful life. Working all the time with tires and stressing anyone out and you should just sometimes take a break and sleep. Sleep is important for a healthy lifestyle
  You can unwind and destress by taking a bath. This helps alleviate muscles and tension. This also helps to calm your brain down and help you feel at peace.
  Cleaning isn’t fun to do, but if you put on your favorite music, and just do it, it will be over before you know it! You might find an old shirt you forgot about in your closet, or discover a horrible animal under your bed. Putting off cleaning could hypothetically let that animal reproduce, make a mess, and infect you. Cleaning often can prevent disasters like on hoarders. It’s a slippery slope, and the longer you wait to start, the harder it will be. Straightening up your room often can prevent situations like this, and will help you feel less stressed long term. It is so nice to come home to a clean bedroom, and your parents will treat you like God if you clean outside of your room.
  Sometimes you just need to buy something that will make you happy or lighten the mood to get stress away from you. This includes things you always wanted to buy but never really needed like, a bucket hat or chocolate.
  Imagine you were hanging out with a group of elderlies, and you wanted to impress them to earn their trust. A lot of times they will not talk to you directly unless it is about college or work. If this happens, don’t whip out your phone, bring a book with you and read that instead. They will be floored because a lot of them read on facebook that children don’t read. They will hopefully ask you about the book and think of you as a genius and give you fat envelopes of money and leave you the inheritance. That is just one hypothetical example where reading could make you look great. Besides helping you merge with elders and making you look like a genius or like you are trying really hard to look like a genius, reading has many mental benefits. You focus on the content of the book which keeps you in the moment when you read, and as you read more regularly, you will naturally get faster and better at it, which could help you at school. Sadly, there are lots of undesirable books out there, and you have probably read a few. I just read a really disturbing self help book about child conditioning. The more you read, the better you’ll know your preferences. I love science fiction and any book with good character development. I hate anything about the medieval times or dragons. School can make reading seem like a task, but books are really great when you aren’t told what to read. If you like to learn new things, try non fiction. Last year I read a nonfiction book about the dangers of coffee from 1993 and it was hilarious. Another time I read a philosophy book about death and it gave me a lot to think about. Books can change your perspective, tell you an intriguing story, and teach you new information.
  If you are stressed to the point of bursting a blood vessel and having a panic attack, one thing that might help you is giving up completely. This may sound silly and like a bad idea, and I don’t mean stop doing work, I mean stop caring so much. You should do your best, but not get upset about the small things and be a perfectionist. Your future doesn’t depend on one small assignment, focus on the major ones. Knowing your priorities and giving up being perfect could help you feel less anxious when it comes to school.
  Listening to music is a great way to clear your mind. Listen to your favorite song if you want to wind down at the end of the day or be in a good mood.
  Your friends are (hypothetically) always there for you so you should be there for them too. You can make them a card saying how thankful you are or you can make them a homemade present. Either way they are sure to enjoy it, and it will bring some happiness into your day. Helping others can be overlooked. With self care and self love being promoted constantly, you might think focusing on making yourself happy will make you happy, but that is wrong. When you pay attention to others and try to do nice things for people, you will make the world a little bit better, which in turn, makes you feel better. The next time you feel a little bit down, consider that maybe everyone else is too! By improving the attitude of others around you, you will become a more happy person.
  Elder advice:
  My grandmother is the most relaxed person I know. She says she likes to relax by solving puzzles like sudoku, going shopping, taking walks, hanging out with her friends, praying, and saying “I’ll think about that tomorrow!”

Take it from me: Online schooling is not much fun

Gretchen Newman
Staff Writer

With the Coronavirus outbreak, schools are closing all around the world. School work is becoming online so that germs are not spreading around in public. Students get excited that they do not have to wake up early and get ready for school but on the other hand, there is a virus spreading around and most people are quarantined into their house. Although it is a lesser risk on younger kids, parents do not want their kids bringing back anything into their house.
  Some online school work is optional and when a student sees optional they most likely are not going to want to do it. Being stuck inside all day, the smarter decision would be to keep up with your school work. For seniors, it is a concern they are not going to have their last senior prom or a normal graduation on time. Students participating in spring sports are all disappointed that their season they have been training for is now cancelled.
  Coronavirus is no joke. The fact the actions are being taken with much caution shows how serious this all is. Staying inside where you can not spread or receive germs in the cleanest option you can do right now. Always keep hand sanitizer around and stay clean!