1 . How to Avoid an Internet Addiction

It may seem like everyone surfs the web these days. But if you can’t have interest in other aspects of your life because of the Internet, you may be on your way to an Internet addiction. You might fear you’re the only one who has experienced that feeling.    1     Luckily, there are some ways to avoid living your life in front of the computer.

    2    

More and more people in the world are becoming addicted to the Internet, and you are not the only one with this problem. So do not be embarrassed. Just be brave to admit that you are on your way to an Internet addiction. And then find others with the same problem and help each other beat it.

Set aside limited time for computer use.

Make sure not to turn it on too many times a week. If you have a laptop, make sure to put it somewhere that you can remember but not somewhere that you see every day. Try keeping the lid closed when you are not using it.     3       If you have a desktop PC, try not to go near it or put something over it like a sheet.

Call people instead of sending instant messages or texts.

If you are free on weekends, call friends and ask them to go outside to do something you enjoy, like playing a sport. This will take your mind off the computer.     4    

Use an alarm clock or timer (计时器).

Before using your computer, decide on a time limit such as 30 minutes. Set the clock or timer and make sure that you get away from the computer when the time is up. Alternatively create a shutdown timer on your desktop.     5    

2 . Binge-watching (刷剧) is when a person watches more than one episode of a show in a row. With developments in the speed and connectivity of the Internet, increases in technology and the rise of on-demand entertainment companies, people can now have their favorite shows stream (流播) directly to their television at their convenience.

This behavior is nothing new. In fact, binge-watching has been officially listed in dictionaries since 2015. The entertainment companies recognize this behavior and many take steps to encourage it. Often, instead of releasing each episode on a week-by-week basis, an entire series will become available concurrently. Once the episode finishes, many platforms will display pop-ups with “you might like” suggestions, or will automatically play the next episode.

However, recent research suggests that out of the more than half of British adults who watch more than one episode of a show back-to-back (一集接一集地), almost a third have admitted missing sleep or becoming tired as a result; and 25% have neglected their household chores (家务活). Next we’ll be missing work!

Bingeing has other connections — binge eating, binge drinking and binge smoking. All of them are often associated with a lack of control and a possible route to addiction. Lindsey Fussell, consumer group director, said, “The days of waiting a week for the next episode are largely gone, with people finding it hard to resist (抗拒) watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.” If people find binge-watching hard to resist, are we witnessing the birth of a new type of addiction?

The countless number of information and entertainment that television and online media can bring us is, many would say, a good thing. However, when the activity begins to bleed into other areas, causing us to stop functioning, then it becomes a problem. So, what’s the answer? Moderation! Neither a tiny amount, nor too much. After all, as the old proverb says, “A little of what you fancy does you good.”

3 . J. K. Rowling frequently shows there is magic every day. Her Harry Potter series has helped people through times of stress and depression and she is always there to deliver wise words of encouragement.

She is one celebrity who is very active on Twitter. So when a single dad named Matt Burke sent her a message thanking her for the series, she noticed. Her series had helped strengthen his relationship with his 9­year­old daughter Bailey.

He included a link to his article titled Being a Broke Parent. He explained how he hadn’t found a level of financial stability that allowed him to pay bills on time and take his daughter on more activities and events. The family also doesn’t have the Internet or TV, which means there’s no “digital babysitter” and he has to rely on his own creative ways to bond with his daughter. Since he received the series, the main thing that has occupied them these days is reading books together.

Burke admits that he thought he was “too cool” for the books when they first came out and he was in his twenties, but he’s loving reading them now. “We switch off chapter by chapter reading them out loud，“Burke explains.” This not only allows her to get more used to reading aloud in front of someone, but it gets me directly involved in something she loves, and it gives me the chance to be very dramatic when I read my chapters and bring myself into the characters in the book, which has proven to be a ton of fun.”

After hearing Burke’s story, Rowling said how honored she was when Harry Potter was a part of his family’s life and offered Burke more books. Besides, people are also offering to send Burke more books as gifts. For Burke, this experience, far more than gifts, will be what he treasures.

4 . In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable (可持续的) ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.

Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains.

In addition, we are seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil (棕榈油) , which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.

Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions (排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development.

Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.

The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits if this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.

5 . In the animal kingdom, weakness can bring about aggression in other animal. This sometimes happens with humans also. But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people. I see it every day when people hold doors for me, pour cream into my coffee, or help me to put on my coat. And I have discovered that it makes them happy.

From my wheelchair experience, I see the best in people, but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily. They don’t get to see this soft side of others often. We try every way possible to avoid showing our weakness, which includes a lot of pretending. But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them.

Last month, when I was driving home on a busy highway, I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual. People behind me began to get impatient and angry, with some speeding up alongside me, horning or even shouting at me. At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty four years of driving. I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed.

No more angry shouts and no more horns!

When I put on my flashlights, I was saying to other drivers, “I have a problem here. I am weak and doing the best I can.” And everyone understood. Several times, I saw drivers who wanted to pass. They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic. But instead of getting impatient and angry, they waited, knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak.

Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way. But those are few and far between. More often, it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared.

6 . Do you want to find some books to read? If so, here is a list of them.

Adapted from the favorite trips of National Geographic’s travel writers, Journeys of a Lifetime crosses the globe to highlight the world’s most famous and little-known destinations. It presents lots of possibilities, from ocean voyage around Antarctica to horse riding in the Andes. Every continent and every possible form of transport is covered.

Destinations of a Lifetime takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most impressive destinations. Hundreds of the most amazing locations—both natural and man-made—are illustrated with vivid images taken by the world-class photographers. Destinations of a Lifetime includes all the information: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most interesting experience.

Popular actor and award-winning travel writer Andrew McCarthy writes the foreword (序言) to this great book, offering 400 excellent destinations chosen by National Geographic’s family. It will appeal to active travelers looking for the next great trip as well as to the many readers who simply love dreaming of visiting faraway and peaceful destinations.

This collection of the 500 most unmissable sights and attractions in the world has been ranked by Lonely Planet’s global community, so big sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal battle it out for a prized place in the top 10, making this the only list you’ll ever need.

8 . Traci Ruble, a psychotherapist (心理治疗师), felt worried that people today were experiencing loneliness and a shortage of personal connections. She understood that with busy lives and challenging jobs, people were unable to make these connections.

So on a spring day in 2015, Ruble and a small number of volunteers set up chairs on sidewalks in 12 locations around San Francisco, California and invited people passing by to sit for a few minutes and chat. This was the beginning of Sidewalk Talk, an organization whose mission is to create public spaces of connections where the people are.

Today, the organization has more than 4,000 volunteers in 40 cities. Around 25 percent of the volunteers are licensed therapists (持证治疗师). They come from different backgrounds and are a mixed group. Volunteers receive training from the organization.

Listening activities are held several times a month along with other organizations. In San Francisco, Sidewalk Talk partners with Lava Mae, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that brings mobile showers to homeless people.

Sidewalk Talk gives people a chance to speak and be listened to but it is not therapy, according to Ruble. “I’m not interacting as a therapist out there. I’m not there to solve someone’s problems,” she said. “I’m there to practice being human.”

Ruble stressed that therapy is one-sided and that therapists are taught to avoid self-disclosure(自我表露) but by “being human” she could carry out interactions by sharing her own life and showing empathy (同感) with the people she talks with.

According to a report, 31 percent of all Americans experience serious loneliness including 61 percent of young adults. To fix that, rebuilding community relationships is very important. While listening activities will not solve the loneliness problem, these chats could help someone have a brighter day. Knowing that there are empathetic people who are willing to fully listen and share your feelings could make all the difference to a lonely person.

9 . Schools need to give students all the tools they need when they graduate. Besides teaching the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, teaching about mindfulness, and mental health are important life skills for young people to have. The state of Florida agrees.

Now, public schools in Florida have been required to teach five or more hours about mental health for students in grades 6-12. This new idea was welcomed by the Florida Board of Education in July and is being carried out as a potential lifesaver.

The new curriculum requires-students to learn about the symptoms (症状) of mental illness and where to find help if they are feeling sad or have other problems and even teaches the teenagers how to help their friends and classmates if they see them struggling.

“We know that 50 percent of all mental illness cases begin by age 14, so we are being active in our commitment to provide our kids with the necessary tools to see them through their successes and challenges. Providing mental health instruction is another important step forward in supporting our families,” Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said.

Florida is the third state, following New York and Virginia in 2020, to pass laws that require mental health education in schools. According. to CNN, the New York law updated the health curriculum to include mental health for elementary, middle and high school students. The Virginia law required that mental health education be provided for 9th and 10th graders.

These three states in the US are taking bold steps to help youth deal with the intricacy of life as they grow from teenagers into adults. It is a confusing world they face and giving them the tools they need is essential. Mental health is something that should be taught in schools in all the US and across the globe.