INSIGHT
(what we need)

Our short-sightedness is not only a growing physical inconvenience, but a stunt in our ability to exercise perspective. 

Myopia, or short-sightedness, is rapidly becoming a global epidemic. Several years ago, the largest vision hospital in China offering a free youth check-up had to expand it’s services into nearby shopping malls just to meet the demand of thousands of youngsters needing to resolve their blurry woes. When they compared studies from 60 years ago, the epidemic of myopia had risen from a whopping 10% to 90%. A mind blowing 96% of young adults in South Korea have myopia today. Some research by the WHO suggests that half of the world population could have short-sightedness by 2050. This hyperbolic upswing in cases has prompted innovations in ophthalmology to meet the demand: scientists in New Delhi have invented the SILK method (of using a non-invasive laser treatment to reshape your cornea). But are we once again unnecessarily “removing tonsils and appendices” instead of reshaping our environments or behaviors to respect our intelligent systems?

Myopia – an elongation of the eyeball that slowly causes structural damage of our focal apparatus – has long been associated with “book worm” tendencies; and now, excessive screen time. In the past, it was even associated with genetic predispositions, though that has finally been debunked. What scientists are now concluding after studies that looked at making certain lifestyle factors constant, is that myopia is caused by a lack of natural sunlight and time outdoors. 

Our biology is so wise: we are literally built with a ‘need for perspective’ (aka. looking out at the horizon) and ‘seeing the light’ (aka. getting sunlight into our eyes). When we don’t get it, our bodies begin to compensate their shape to favor the thing directly in front of us: causing strain, structural damage, and literal short-sightedness. There’s a danger of our physical habituation turning into a characteristic tendency to only see what is close, and lack prescience or foresight of what can be possible if we just expand our view. Add in the tendency to place importance on those nearby things over time, and they begin to morph into one’s beliefs, biases and bigotry.  

“Myopic thinking” is not just a metaphor. But am I saying that going outside to get sunlight in our eyes and adjusting to our horizons is going to solve our world problems? If only solutions were that simple. Yet, the prospect of perpetuating the opposite behavior across populations over time is pretty daunting. The same way we react with paralytic indifference to the frog in boiling water phenomena of global warming, soil deficiency, and plastic accumulation towards their dismal outcome. We must see the bigger picture of our shortsightedness if we are to make wise decisions today about our future.

INSPIRATION
(what we want)

Forest Schools: screen-less schools in nature designed around risk-taking and holistic growth.

Forest School is a child-centered inspirational learning process, that offers opportunities for holistic growth through regular sessions. It is a long-term program that supports play, exploration and supported risk taking. It develops confidence and self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting.

• Education that recognizes the social, emotional and physical needs of students in a nature environment.

• Trained practitioners take a learner-led approach to exploration and discovery, nurturing meaningful experiences and life long positive impact.

• Built in risk-taking and collaboration exercises character strengths like resilience, empathy, courage, sensitivity, and confidence.

• Nature spaces are “blank canvases” where trainers enter with a direction for learners, and encourage a discovery process of ‘staying with the challenge’ and ‘sense making of the experience’ to ensure voices are heard and emotions recognized.

• Each member is valued, with their individual character nurtured without losing sight of the communal dynamic and connection with nature.

INNOVATION
(what we wish for)

Humane Horizon: corporate wellness programs that train productive outdoor meeting sessions for alignment, ideation and visioning alongside supportive technology (ie. Humane AI Pin).

Instead of putting technology at the center (though the new Humane AI pin is showcasing our possible screenless future), how about we underscore “humane” and actually put humans at the center of how we collaborate?

• Goal is to bring employee screen time down by 50% by understanding the inputs and outputs of how information is shared and captured through an organization. 

• Audit done on companies team structures and working style to limit excess screen time and tech stacks through work flow redesign.

• Screen time is limited to absolutely necessary information capture, complex equations, or designing digital assets. Interaction (ie. meetings, mailing, messaging) is done synchronously.

• Reorganized teams within the same physical space to collaborate effectively and efficiently. Outdoor meeting structures to increase trust, collaboration and productivity through movement and agile thinking.

• Rules-based structures on how to best interact: for instance, ideas are shared “live”, consensus is captured digitally, unknowns/questions are sent via voice message and resolved immediately, final decisions are archived digitally.