Feature
18
August | 2021
Connectivity Desire and
Compassion Fatigue
One reason for the continued growth
of plant sales, according to Lauren
Alsina, content manager at e Urban
Jungle, located in Mt. Dora, Fla., is "the
desire for connectivity." She asserts,
"ough we are more connected than
ever (thanks to phones, internet, travel,
etc.), we've seen a rise in isolation, as
well, due to the pandemic, political
polarization and access to natural
spaces. Plants are a way for people to
connect to nature and actively care
for something. Plants are meditative
and rewarding, and they are a gateway
into a community where people find
support and can share common
interests. Plants have been shown
to lower rates of depression and to
increase productivity and creativity,
so they make wonderful gifts with
many benefits."
Alsina adds, "Social jet lag is a trend
we see emerging for the next few years.
It is characterized by individuals feeling
exhausted from keeping up with their
friends on social media or doing things
at different times across the globe,
resulting in a lack of sleep. Also, on
the rise is 'compassion fatigue,' which
is characterized by physical, emotional
and mental exhaustion, resulting in
emotional numbness. It's a form of
secondary traumatic stress, triggered
by helping or wanting to help those
in need."
Pointing out how plant care can play
an integral role in improving our
daily lives, Alsina explains, "We are
increasingly running ourselves dry,
but plants allow us time to ourselves.
Gardening and plant care are very
much meditative, 'brain-off ' routines
that help individuals disconnect from
Andromeda District, Photography by Dorian Ash
