According to the Associated press article that I have posted below more and more children are turning to TV’s instead of playing outside. Black box babysitters, as I so kindly refer to them as are replacing imagination and creativity with mind numbing wasted entertainment. You would think people would realize anything that makes your eyes glaze over and takes you into a trance like state other than common sleep wouldn’t be the best thing for a child or an adult.

What happened to the days of my childhood? When building forts, playing army adventure rangers, and climbing trees was all the craze. I whole heartedly believe my generation was the last to seek the backyard for entertainment pretending space exploration and safari jungles.

Don’t get me wrong I watch my fairshare of TV. Man vs. Wild and Survivor Man airings are never missed at my house. But, watching those shows only makes me desire to be outside even more.

If we don’t educate, and encourage the generations to come to love and protect the outdoors, it will be lost to bulldozers making the next big appliance store to sell them one more flat screen TV.

Girl vs. Wild,

Jacquelyn Farris

img_0761.JPG

Associated Press - February 4, 2008 9:33 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Researchers are concerned that as people spend more time communing with TVs and computers they may lose interest in nature and, eventually, lose interest in conservation and parks. They say their health could suffer as well.

The research appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that camping, fishing and per capita visits to parks are all declining as people spend more of their lives looking at a screen.

The authors warn there could be less interest in biodiversity and also that children’s “videophilia” has been shown to be a cause of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders and poor academic performance.

Posted: 05 Feb, 2008 |
Categories: Travel , indoors , adventure , outdoors , Uncategorized By: jfarris.