Is your brain a couch potato?

I remember a time when I had all of my friend’s phone numbers memorized. I didn’t just press a button- I used my brain to recall their numbers. I could rattle off at least 20 phone numbers at any given moment. All of that changed when I got my first cell phone. I didn’t have to remember anything. Every number I needed was right there at the push of a button. I got lazy.

When I lost a cell phone a couple years ago I realized I didn’t even know my own MOTHER’s number by heart anymore! What has happened to us!? Objects that are designed to make our lives easier and free up our braincells for other stuff are instead making us dumb!  It’s almost as if the braincells we’ve freed up have become little couch-potatoes… lying around eating Cheetos and doing absolutely nothing! A lot of technology isn’t helping us use our brains more at all! It’s causing us to use it less.

Here’s another thing: I love giving people directions. I’m good with directions. I don’t get lost… ever! I pride myself on my ability to make getting from point A to point B easy and now when I offer to give people directions they often say, “Oh, that’s ok… I’ll Mapquest it.” It’s a major bummer to me… and I’ve had people get lost using a printed map because they can’t read a map properly!

You know the saying: “Use it or lose it?” That’s the way I feel about our brains. Just because we have things that make life more convenient for us doesn’t mean we should let those usable braincells slack off! They are like any other muscles in the body… you have to work hard to get to the ones that don’t get used as much.

Challenge your brain: Learn another language, an instrument or even take the time to read more. If not filled with quality information I believe lazy brain cells will absorb the first thing they come into contact with and I hardly think dialogue from The Hills is going to truly enhance anyone’s life or personality. I’m not saying you can’t enjoy drivel on occassion… I know I do! Just don’t make it your main diet or your poor lil’ brain will become malnourished. (and make it easier for the machines to take over… just like in Terminator! Bwahahaha!)

Have you ever seen the movie “Idiocracy?” The first time I watched it- I was laughing hysterically and then it hit me… the future portrayed in the movie was not only plausible but probable! The smile faded from my face and I immediately considered what I could do to keep myself from becoming a brainless drone.

Thanks for letting me climb onto the soapbox for a moment. I’ll climb down now… carefully. I can be a klutz! Haha.

xo,

Sam