Sometimes it feels like we’re living inside a digital bubble.
Speaking personally, I admit I spend too many hours trolling Google for articles, reading friends posts on Facebook or squandering hours of my life on a host of other digital platforms. It is not only the amount of time spent engaged online but also the amount of mental space that is stolen by such activity.
The online world operates as a separate layer of existence outside the natural world. We have created an artificial reality that sucks up not just our time but our attention. Like any compulsion, too much online time is unhealthy and it’s important to cultivate a space away from all digital devices.
According to CNN, teens in the United States are averaging seven hours a day on screens media just for entertainment. This does not include time spent using screens for school or homework. I believe we need to spend time in a non-digital space every day. This could be felting, cooking, gardening or any other activity where we are disengaged from our smart phone and devices.
Felting does provide such a healthy activity. It acts as a pattern interrupt and is in direct contrast to all the plastic and electronics we touch on a daily basis. By touching natural fibers and feeling a variety of textures we are activating our senses and become grounded. Our hands and minds are occupied in a creative manor and we experience the satisfaction of accomplishment.
Step out of the digital world and take up a craft that reconnects you to the natural world.
