Community Corner

Blogs: Our Attention Spans are Kaput

A recap of recent and popular blog posts in Rockland, Westchester and Putnam.

 

Feeling Anxious? It's OK....

The events at the Boston Marathon transported many of us from the metropolitan New York area back to 9/11 and the feelings we had that day: confusion; fear; shock; panic; grief; loss; helplessness… the list goes on and on.

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Combine this with the fact that it’s just a mere four months since the tragedy at Newtown, and mix in the daily threats from North Korea, and it’s no wonder that we’re all feeling increased anxiety levels.

To read more, click here.

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Are Mobile Devices Destroying Our Attention Spans?

I think there was a time period—and I emphasize think, because I never really grew up during this time period—when people would just sit down at meetings and talk to one another, and not just stare blindly at our mobile devices. Not while intermittently looking at their smart phone or tablet and being constantly distracted by Twitter feeds or texts.

A time when, as Louis CK so crudely put it, people just lived their lives. A time when people didn't have mobile devices to draw their attention away from one another and could instead focus on conversations and business and such. I imagine that Mad Men wasn't too inaccurate in their depiction of, well, living life in the 1960s.

To read more, click here.

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Energizing for Earth Day

Homeowners in Westchester can substantially reduce fuel and electricity consumption this year without even changing their lifestyles. How’s that possible?

There are over 60,000 homes in northern Westchester. Local climate action plans and carbon emission analyses conducted by several towns in the area, have shown that the bulk of carbon emissions come from powering homes—heating, cooling, electric. Put that together with the fact that houses waste 20-40% of the power they consume through poor insulation, and faulty heating and air conditioning systems and appliances, and we can begin to see how home energy improvements can save energy, and reduce carbon emissions.

To read more, click here.

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If you're interested in blogging for Patch and sharing your story, insights, opinions or photos, email kevin@patch.com.


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