As a young person living in Weymouth, I very often find myself lost for things to do. Despite its beautiful stretching coastline, and luscious beaches, it can be hard to find entertainment in these cold winter months – especially at a time when digital pastimes are becoming increasingly prevalent. It is vital that we don’t let virtual leisure replace the incredible fun there is to be had in our small town.
The Oxford dictionary defines connection as being “a relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else”. I fear that with the rapid advancements being made in modern technology, the innately human ‘linking’ with one another, with nature and with the world is being obscured. Don’t get me wrong: I believe that the internet is and can be a brilliant tool- one that would be foolish to dismiss in an article about the connection of oneself to the world. However, I would implore you to consider what true ‘connection’ really is. With the accessibility of the online world, we are provided with a haven for meeting new people, discovering new things but also are provided with a new, potentially superficial kind of connection.
In terms of nature, it is as easy as simply getting outside. I am aware this is something we hear a lot, but this does not diminish its truth; multitudes of studies have demonstrated the strong correlation between positive mental wellbeing and going outside (including one analysing mental health during lockdown published in Scientific Reports). In Weymouth, this could be a walk to Chesil Beach, around Portland Bill, or along the coast path from Bowleaze (all of these being walks I have recently done and have thoroughly enjoyed). We may not always realise it, but simply being in nature can have such a powerful impact.
The connection to nature, to art and to one another are things we cannot lose. Without these, we lose what it is that makes life so beautiful and so human. We must be wary that the modern world does not weaken the extraordinary nature of life.
By Jacob McCulloch
