The Dangers of Overstimulation
With the current trend of getting TV, social media, and news alerts sent to our phones, we have access to more media than we could ever consume. While constant connectivity is a boon for many aspects of our lives, researchers are discovering that too much stimulation is cause for concern. One study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that too much social comparison, spurred by the likes of Facebook and cable news, can lead to an increased risk of depression. If you find yourself pressured to live up to the public lives of friends and family, or if you feel like you’re being bombarded with too much news and entertainment, consider a media detox. A detox doesn’t require you to unsubscribe from social media services or unplug your TV forever. Instead, think of it
as a vacation from the overstimulation so many of us experience. Ask yourself which aspects of your media diet are causing more stress than they’re worth, and take a break from them for a little while. “In the same way we think about what we eat, we should think about what we read, what we’re seeing, what we’re engaging in, and what we’re interacting with every day,” Emma Watson told CNN in an interview about her selective social media use. If you’re not mindful of your media consumption and participation, it tends to pile up. When you detox, it’s a lot easier to identify which parts of your media diet are essential and which are only a burden.
Because most of us consume media in small chunks throughout the day, it’s easy to overlook how much that time adds up. All those hours you spend on Facebook could be used to start a garden, knit a quilt, or join a soccer league. Unless you have an unlimited supply of leisure time (and who does?), you need to be selective in the way you spend it. Remember, media isn’t the cause of all your ills. Used mindfully, it can actually increase happiness and satisfaction. The problem is that we are so mired in the media muck that we can’t get a perspective on how much is too much. A detox will allow you to reassess the media you’re consuming and build a better plan for the future. You can still keep up with your grandkids on Facebook, but it shouldn’t be the only way you interact with the world.
Another benefit of a media detox is that you’ll have more time to pursue new and dormant hobbies.
What to Do if YOU’VE BEEN IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
If you drive a vehicle on a regular basis, you are at risk of being involved in an automobile accident. Crashes can be devastating, but even a simple fender bender can cause a great deal of inconvenience, aggravation, confusion, and delay. If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, the first thing you should do is contact your insurance company. However, if you are the “at-fault” driver and there are no injuries and less than $500 in property damage, it may be best for you to enter into an agreement to voluntarily repair the other driver’s vehicle without involving your insurance company.
you should capture the license plate information of the other vehicles. If no one has been hurt, you can offer to exchange insurance information with the other party and begin documenting the damage to your vehicle. If you are injured in an automobile accident and there is more than $500 in damage, you should report the crash to local law enforcement and remain at the scene of the crash until their investigation is complete. You should also immediately seek medical treatment, as the law requires you to do so within 14 days in order to be eligible for the valuable “no-fault” benefits your Florida auto insurance policy provides. You should also seek legal advice and refrain from discussing the crash with any insurance company until you have hired an attorney.
If you’ve been injured and are unable to work, the stress of battling the insurance company can become overwhelming. Navigating through the fallout of an automobile accident can be exhausting and confusing, and that’s why you should hire an experienced automobile accident lawyer to help you. Insurance companies and adjusters can take advantage of your vulnerability after an accident, so it’s very important to contact a lawyer. Most times, insurance adjusters present themselves as your “friend.” Remember that you are never required to give a statement about the accident to another driver’s insurance company — and you shouldn’t! Insurance adjusters may even offer a quick settlement, but you should never take a settlement without first discussing your case with an attorney.
If you are able to do so safely, you should take photos of the damage to the vehicles involved. Specifically,
2 (904) 360-6100
“JACKSONVILLE’S ATTORNEY AT LAW.”
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