Thank God that swimming provides a catharsis for me.

Anyways, on my daily scrounging of psychology articles, I found many articles that interested me, yet disturbed me at the same time. Most were concerning the higher rates of depression, self-mutilation, and suicide in today's society. If you know about my past experiences then you'll understand why I'm passioned about this topic. That's all I'll say about that.

So this article (http://www.psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20090116-000004.html) focuses on the topic of suicide/depression, but especially amongst girls. Of course, we all know about our individualistic competitive culture, society's unrealistic pressures, and how the strive for perfection only leads to disappointment. However, more interesting is how today's technology and modes of communication, hinder the emotional growth process, thus preventing problem (or drama) solving skills. In addition, while technology can help us connect with a wider range of people, it also takes away our privacy.

I think society has transformed the image of alone time and self-reflection. It's seen as taboo, a warning sign for depression. While sometimes it can be, I think it is only because we perceive it as so. Daily alone time and self-reflection is probably more advantageous than harmful. Nonetheless I say that with caution, for some people can be so steeped in their own world that opportunities and hope can appear closed off.

Don't really know the point of this whole rant, just that lately I've been trying to stay off instant messaging and blogging more for reflection purposes. Moreover, I've been trying to communicate with people on a more personal level, and I realized I suck at it...horribly. Yes, it's more my own fault too for being really introverted and a nerd/geek in my past years, but I do think society and technology deserves some blame.

So I guess the point of this post might be as a heads up. I know my own thoughts, so I imagine that other people's can't be that different. High school, or just life in general, can really make us realize how alone we are sometimes. Also, from my experience, I know how burdening it can be to feel like you lost someone because your pride prevented you from helping that person. And while that may seem like the extreme case, I think it serves as a warning for our current relationships.