How are we Connected to Our Bodies?

VR as a form of fun movement allows exercises that would appear boring to some seem like a game and make it more palatable for others to partake in. Gamifying expertise and movement through health/fitness apps and video games allows participants to get the same dopamine effects that gambling does while getting them moving. The introductions of wearable fitness trackers have also added another level of encouragement for individuals to get up and move. There has also been the creation of programs where individuals with mobility issues can use the virtual visuals as reference as they work to improve their movement.

There has been an increase in struggles of physical health due to the introduction of electronic devices. “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 80% of adolescents around the world are physically inactive due to lifestyle factors” (XRHealth 2020). With so many options for distractions, people spend more time sitting in front of a screen rather than moving and exercising their body. This has led to more obesity, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal issues in individuals, including young people. Neck and back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, poor posture and chronic pain can all be attributed to prolonged use of devices in everyday life. The use of screens for long periods of time each day also leads to eye strain and can create long term vision problems. The more time on touch screen devices and smartphones leads to more sleep disturbances leading to shorter and less efficient sleep. The wavelength of light exposure from devices affects the circadian rhythm of people's sleep which leads to a decrease in cognitive performance and overall bodily function.

Connection to The Nether

In the world of The Nether, if they are able to get their affairs in order, individuals have the option to completely transition into living in The Nether full time. They abandon their physical form to be whoever or whatever they want. The result however is the abandonment of one's own flesh, leaving it to decay as it is hooked up to life support only to survive as a lifeless shell in the real world. They are able to break free from the limitations of the real world and the burden of a body and become “true spirit”.

Quotes

“I’ve seen bodies, after only one year, that are unrecognizable.” (Hailey 23)

Challenge

For the following week, find an alternative to doom scrolling and make it part of your nightly routine. This can be replaced by anything that does not require a screen at least 30 minutes before going to bed (reading, colouring, meditation, etc.)

Write about your experience HERE, whether it be a success or struggle, share any changes you have noticed.

*Note, all answers are anonymous but may be shared anonymously on the hub or in the engagement space as part of an installation. If you do not want that please do not fill it out.

BACK

We acknowledge that this theatre and the university that holds it stand on the traditional territories of the Attawandaron (also known as the Neutral), Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is in Block 2 of the Haldimand Tract, land promised in 1784 by the British Crown to the Haudenosaunee of the Grand River in recognition of their alliance during the American Revolution.

This territory, which includes six miles on either side of the Grand River, is governed by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, an agreement that teaches that the land is a shared dish from which we all eat, and that we carry collective responsibilities: to take only what we need, to ensure there is enough for others, and to keep the dish clean for those who come after us. It is an agreement rooted in care, reciprocity, and stewardship.

Gathering here in this theatre, on this land, within this agreement, means recognizing that welcome comes with responsibility. It asks us to consider how we move through shared spaces, how we care for one another, and how the systems we build shape access, safety, and belonging as equal partners.

Home

Overview

Interview with the Director