The World: Virtual vs. Real
I live right next to a big park, and I’m constantly amazed at the fact that it’s almost always empty. It’s the kind of place I would have spent much of my time as a kid. Of course, when I was a kid (here we go) we didn’t have MySpace, World of Warcraft or cell phones with internet access. Our version of World of Warcraft was hitting each other with sticks.
Michelle Rodriguez Trudy Chacon
I won’t say those were better days, but I do believe we’re losing touch with the physical world. This article from The Guardian
confirms that. It says that the number of people participating in outdoor activities has fallen precipitously since the 1980’s. The culprit? Videophilia, a preference for indoor media activities. Translation: MySpace, Facebook, RuneScape, texting, Nintendo DS, PSP, PS3, Wii, instant messaging, first person shooters, email, MP3 players and smart phones, to name a few. Who has time to go outside?
We need to make time.
goes on to say that by staying inside, we’re putting the environment at risk. People become environmentalists because they love the outdoors. You can’t fall in love with the outdoors if you’ve never been there.
But the environment is not the only thing to suffer as a result of our decreasingly active lives. According to our friends at the President’s Challenge, two-thirds of Americans are obese or overweight. Coincidence?
I humbly suggest that we all try a new game. It’s massively multiplayer (6+ billion users), high-rez and rendered in stunning 3D with immersive sound. It’s free to play and you don’t need any technology. It’s called the real world. Log out and give it a try! Unplug the kids and bring them along too. Throw a ball, ride a bike, chase each other around the park, play disc golf. If you’re short on ideas, visit the President’s Challenge website for some inspiration.
And don’t forget to take some pictures for your MySpace page.
maybe ‘they’ should make electronic devices only work from direct light solar energy.
Good idea! Or how about batteries that get charged by physical activity, thus ensuring a balance of real-world and electronic interaction?
So true, so true. Personally, I spend a heck of a lot more time outside in the summer. Being from the generation that was told “go outside and play…and don’t come back until supper”, I go absolutely stir crazy during these cold, dark Wisconsin winters! I can’t wait to take Ben and Jordan outside to play in the park, or better yet, SWIM!!! I guess I need to be a bit more creative in the winter, and a bit more bundled up! Ahhhh…Tshirts, flip flops, and shorts….
It’s not just our bodies that are suffering – our brains and emotional growth suffer, too. There was an amazing story on NPR’s Morning Edition yesterday about how kid’s cognitive functions and ability to regulate their own behavior has changed since the mid-50s when “play” become synonymous with “toys” rather than actual physical play. SO interesting.
NPR: Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills:
http://tinyurl.com/2qxao9
Excellent article Bridget! I love this part:
“…encourage kids to use symbolic props that they create and make through their imaginations. For example, a stick becomes a sword.”
They must’ve played the 70’s version of WoW too.
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