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Posted by Bill S on February 6, 2008 at 12:28:48 pm EST
In reply to People prefer videogames to the outdoors posted by Bill S on February 5, 2008 at 7:48:13 pm EST

MTB said, in response to my post

Quote:

You're probably on the computer as much as some people watch TV or play video games.

Hmmmm, more than I want to be, but nowhere near the US average. There have been several recent surveys that show (or are purported to show) that the average American has the TV on for 8 hours a day. This seems a bit astounding and unbelievable, except that I know lots of people who turn the TV on to catch the morning news shows and then again as soon as they arrive home, watching (or having it on) all through supper and until midnight or the 11 o'clock news is over.

Usually I have the computer on for 1 to 2 hours a day (not continuously), and am often in the hills for 2 or 3 days or sometimes 3 weeks, where there is no computer available (such as Africa in December for 3 weeks - 2 of which were on the Serengeti or on the mountain, and their Internet cafe rates in town are exorbitant, or in Antarctica Dec 2006 for almost a month, again no internet, except for those people willing to pay Iridium for the satellite connection). Most days, I spend more time reading than on computer (or watching the idiot box) combined.

I do use it for several hours a day when developing or updating some of the courses I teach (or presenting the indoor sessions), or recently, when working through the 2600 images we shot in Africa (PhotoShop takes as much time to get an image right as working in the chemical darkroom used to). And we are in the middle of designing a replacement house, which means a lot of interaction with the architect, going over his designs to suggest a larger closet, shifting a wall slightly, changing the size of windows. In other words, not entertainment, but as a tool. Visiting Trailspace for a couple of 10 or 15 minute sessions 3 or 4 times a day adds up to maybe an hour, but the daily hill runs or bike rides take 2 to 3 hours (typically 8 to 12 miles, 2000 to 2500 foot ascents, depending on whether it is the short Mission Peak, long Black Mountain, or somewhere else).

Last Sept-Oct, my son was on the computer for a few hours a day during his professional conference in Amsterdam, but we watched no TV and were not on computer at all during our 2 weeks climbing in the Dolomites. He continues to get into the woods on a regular basis, despite Wisconsin's winter.

"Dangerous Book for Boys" is a great book. B&N and Borders have been selling it at a fair discount and have it on the best seller racks. Unfortunately, the book billed as the equivalent for girls ("Daring Book for Girls") is nowhere near as good. There are hardly even any "tom-boy" types of "daring" activities in it. I suggest the "Dangerous" boys' book for girls as well.

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