Has the computer age ruined peripheral vision?

Have you noticed that when you walk through any crowded area - a shopping centre, a main thoroughfare or a mall, exit a theatre or cinema after a performance - that people will just walk out in front of you or change direction without warning, causing you to swerve in order to avoid a collision? And when you fail to swerve in time and a collision occurs, how angry do they get? It's never their fault! And then there are those who exit a doorway and then just stand in the middle of a stream of people expecting others to go around them.

I understand that you can change your mind about what direction you're going in at the last minute but for pete's sake (and mine!) look both ways before you make a sudden turn or stop. If all these people drive the same way, no wonder the road toll has escalated!

Is it possible that a decade of sitting in front of computers where your eyesight is focussed on a direct path has taken away our ability to sense movement out of our direct line of sight? I think so!

I have tested this theory by trying to walk in a straight line and it is almost comical trying to do so without other pedestrians running into you. From the person texting to the one with ear plugs., firmly implanted, listening to their selected music. It is almost impossible to travel in a straight line at a constant speed. Perhaps if we all took life a little more slowly and learned to appreciate a nice day, things would be a little less hectic and I wouldn't mind swerving so much!

Does your car make you "king of the world"?

I'm a pedestrian, let me get that out first. I haven't owned nor driven a car for at least 10 years. It's not that I can't, I've never been a confident driver and I'd rather not be the person who causes yet another accident - there are enough of them out there without me adding to the toll.

As a pedestrian, I am not a threat to drivers, so why do they insist on trying to run me down?

I traverse several crossings on my way to and from work every day, some with traffic lights, others not. More often than not, I will almost be collected by a car running the orange and sometimes red in order to avoid stopping at the light. Well I'd like to remind drivers that you are in a car - you are going to be a lot more inconvenienced if you have an accident than if you stop to allow a few pedestrians to cross the road in front of you; and how much time are you really going to save anyway? You'll only get to the next traffic light earlier than you would have, forcing you to sit there even longer.


What happened to good old fashioned manners and caution?


I believe that modern cars, with their smoother suspension and vacuum sealed interior impervious to outside environmental impact makes the driver feel invincible. Without the wind in his/her face he/she can no longer judge speed; with the windows up and music blasting through surround sound speakers, s/he is ignorant of audio cues which may point to a potential incident. Add to that the blinkered vision of a generation used to staring at computer screens and you have to wonder that there aren't more accidents.

So please be a little more considerate, to quote an old adage, "it's better to arrive late than never".

Are energy drinks the plague of the 21st century?

Maybe I'm naive but every time I hear on the news that yet another person has been stabbed or robbed or assaulted I can't help but wonder whether the assailant was high on multiple energy drinks. Being subject to lack-of-food mood swings myself, I truly believe that what you eat and drink affects your brain cells and hence your logic. 

It sounds too simple but what if I'm right? Energy drinks are a cocktail of chemicals and sugar, there is no nutritional value in them and many people use them as a substitute for water, food and even sleep. Let's face it, they don't contain anything that your body needs and, mostly in combination with alcohol, they lead you to think that you're invulnerable. 

Is this the 21st century's tobacco replacement? Manufacturers can argue that they don't force anyone to drink them and they don't encourage excess consumption but in today's instant gratification environment and limited parental guidance, how much easier is it to buy and chug a can of liquid than to shop and prepare a nutritious meal? With the recent fixation on the avoidance of obesity, perhaps some see it as an easy way to control calories!

The media are full of stories on how lifestyle dictates your state of health - the more able you are to afford good nutrition and healthcare, the longer you will live. Yet more and more people are prone to depression and lacking the will to live. Could this be a direct result of brain cells muddled by a lack of nutrition? Food for thought!