Last week, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh had some advice for the thrill-seekers in his city who were foolishly recording videos of themselves jumping out of windows and into snowbanks and then posting them on social media websites.

Wise up and knock it off.Walsh said Boston "isn't Loon Mountain," referring to the New Hampshire ski resort named for a bird famous for lacking critical thinking skills and rational thought. Keeping the clear snow-clogged streets clear is the priority of Boston work crews who must deal with snowbanks as big as 10 feet high. Trying to get an emergency vehicle to someone who simply wants to post a silly stunt on social media is lunacy.There is something to the cabin fever theory, which in this case translates to being cooped up all winter. Josh Klapow, a clinical psychologist at the school of public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham says it's basically your mind's way of telling you that the environment you are in is "less than optimal for normal functioning."In the midst of a record-setting brutal winter, Boston fits the definition.Polar bear plungers, who enter a body of water in freezing temperature, could also be candidates for "Loon Mountain." Admittedly, some organized polar bear plungers do good things. The Plungapalooza event held at Sandy Point State Park, Maryland, is the largest polar bear plunge in the U.S. and annually raises funds for the Special Olympics.While polar bear swimmers may experience an invigorating rush during their icy plunge, doctors say there is no solid evidence of any physical health benefits associated with swimming in freezing cold water. In fact, they say the sudden cold shock can be dangerous for people with health issues such as a family history of stroke, aneurysm, blood pressure problems, hypertension or sudden cardiac death.As with any athletic endeavor, the key is to properly train. One research doctor found that it takes as few as five immersions in icy water for the body to develop a tolerance that can reduce the risk of cold-shock response by half.A much safer outdoor family activity during these cold months is snow sculpting, but people should make sure the images and messages are decent. Harrisburg police recently issued disorderly conduct citations to people who used the snow as a canvas for obscene drawings and phrases. Another off-color artist a 64-year-old woman allegedly spray painted obscenities in the snow.Police wouldn't say what she wrote. In this case, too much information is a bad thing.By JIM ZBICKtneditor@tnonline.com