With classes almost completely online during the fall and many staying that way this semester, working electronically has started to feel more natural than in-person classes. Here’s a few reasons why you should probably get some fresh air.
In the past month, many of us have been able to breathe a sigh of relief in at least partially returning to real classrooms rather than Zoom or any of the various group call programs professors had to resort to over the past year. However, when you look at the course offerings archived in Wingspan, the numbers are staggering.
This semester, 1,006 of the classes were hybrid and 521 were fully online. This seems like a vast improvement from this past fall, when 643 were hybrid and 996 were online.
But the truth is that we’ve become desensitized to it. In Fall 2019, 66 classes were hybrid and 171 were fully online. That means that students are at least 6 ½ times more likely to have any given class be taught online currently, compared to before COVID-19.
Obviously, the blame can hardly be laid on our professors. Courses are mainly planned around the material and student safety, so the Winthrop faculty deserve recognition for managing as well as they have, given current circumstances.
However, the fact remains that we need to go outside and get away from our screens occasionally in order to stay healthy. According to a 2010 Harvard Medical letter, Americans spent 90 percent of their time on average indoors. Thinking back to ten years ago, most of us would have to admit being inside even more than that!
There are a whole host of psychological problems that arise from not going outside or getting sunlight, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is usually seen in people who live in areas with longer winters, but can also occur when someone doesn’t get enough sunlight as well.
Another factor is vitamin D, which our body makes naturally when we get sunlight, and one that many Americans don’t have enough of. There are supplements that also provide vitamin D, but not nearly as effectively as spending time outside.
If you are considering stocking up on vitamin D to last you for a while though, think again! Long periods of uninterrupted direct sunlight can put you at risk of skin cancer, and the types of UV rays that sunscreen blocks the best are also the kind that provides the vitamin D we need.
If there are all of these problems, then what should you do to get all your vitamins during a pandemic? Even if your classes are online, try to take a walk outside when possible. At the very least, try for 10 to 15 minute periods of sunlight on your arms and legs a few times each week.
Even if you’ve dedicated yourself to being a COVID hermit though, all is not lost! Light therapy boxes, also nicknamed SAD lamps, are available online. While not as effective as natural sunlight, the Mayo Clinic advocates for their use.
So, get outside and give your friends a wave and a socially distant air hug!
Photo by Kaily Paddle
