Today's Generation and Walking

H1

Over the past year since I started college, I have become increasingly aware of how unaware I normally am. It started with the realization of just how much time I spent on technology, social media, etc., and how I never paid attention to my surroundings. I really try (as much as I am able to) to not use my phone when I walk places, because I feel like I miss so much when I’m consumed with it. Ever since I started doing this, I’ve noticed the people that I pass by, the scenery, the temperature, etc. Doing this has made me better appreciate what’s around me.

With that being said, I’m not sure if walking in itself makes you think. I can see where walking with the intention of thinking can produce more profound thoughts than if one was sitting still. I say this in regards to my generation, mostly. The majority of the time, people who are walking are also consumed with their phones. One walk across campus makes it clear that most young adults are not concerned with what’s around them. On the other hand, walking with the intention of thinking/philosophizing can produce a new prospective on the world around you. In the words of Mark Twain, walking is able “…to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active.” We waste so much time sitting and staring at screens, and it’s refreshing to move and get away from technology. I don’t fully agree with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s opinion that we only think when we are walking, but I do think that walking helps engage our minds and introduce us to new ideas, settings, and world-views.