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Posted by redpatch5 on April 27, 2008 at 6:25:49 pm EDT
In reply to People prefer videogames to the outdoors posted by Bill S on February 5, 2008 at 7:48:13 pm EST

After finding, reading and reflecting on the various posts here, I would like to throw my 2 cents in. Sorry for the length.

This looks a lot like new versus old with two biased thoughts. The young seeing no problem with electronics, and the elder wistfully reminiscing about their youth and how come no one is doing things the same?

Yes when I was a child I did spend time outdoors. We would range far and wide for hours without immediate adult supervision. Most of us were afraid to cause/get into trouble as the penalty at home would be unpleasant.

I grew up during the 60’s/70’s in the Victoria area, of BC, Canada. The city was a city, with some very strange environmental, geographic features. In the heart of downtown, a working harbour, an 8 mile long tidal water way with a two way waterfall, as one moves out away from the city center, several creeks and lakes to explore, farm land surrounded by urban development. Many small lots were undeveloped so they appeared to be wild. Numerous hills to view the Olympic Mountains, Mount Baker, as well as the coast mountains behind Vancouver, BC. Never mind the mountains on Vancouver Island itself. All in all lots to keep a youth occupied if they wanted to.

At the same time I can remember that most of us youth wanted to live/mimic the life of Urban dwellers as seen in Movies and on TV. In one area I can remember asking the youth what they would be doing on the upcoming weekend. They said they would smoke cigars, and play poker. I then asked what they would do the next weekend. They replied the same. We were all of 11 or 12 years old at the time. Most of us adopted the jeans, t-shirt and long hair of the times.

I think that the youth always see what they see to be relevant in their lives, it may only be today’s vision but it is a vision just the same. Look at North America. Almost 400 million people on the continent. Of these how many regularly venture out away from the Urban centers? How many seldom venture out and away. So for a lot of people the outdoor lifestyle and the skills required are almost completely irrelevant. The youth can see themselves using electronics in their lives and on the job in their future so they play with or use in preparation for their future.

The outdoor life style in North America has evolved just as North America has evolved in society. Look at the first Europeans who came to the continent. Almost all had to be trained in outdoor lifestyle skills as this was a foreign thing to them. They came from Cities and Towns, or Farms that were well developed. No one moved very far from these places or for very long before coming to North America. During its settlement most Europeans knew the things that were relevant to them for life support as they saw it. The skills used today for outdoor enjoyment and survival were used by our forefathers as a means to spread out and develop, expand the community.

As for today we have a shrinking population which by itself will reduce the number of outdoors enthusiasts. We have a demand society, I want it and I want it now. I don’t want to work for or wait for what I want. Also remember we have instant global communication. Remember 911? All day glued to TV, Radio, Computer for Any information. When my children were small a boy was stolen from his parents without a trace. It shocked the community. Sadly the youth has never been found 15 years later. Parents were afraid to let their children play in the front yard without supervision. It did not help that we could and did learn about youth being stolen in Florida, California, and anywhere else it occurred that night on the local news. The mentality was close the gate, lock the doors and don’t talk to anyone, they must be bad.

I talked with one of my children’s school mates mother one day. She told me that her grade ten girl was not aloud to ride the public bus system alone as mother was afraid for the child’s safety. Mother worked in a law office and was not impressed with the clientele. The mother did not like me as I then asked what would happen if both mother and father died and daughter had to take a public bus by herself to get around. I thought that the girl’s life skills were being impaired by not doing things on her own.

Look at the legal system of today. Any time an incident occurs organizations have to read and recognize the inherent dangers associated with that type of incident. If an event occurs after the group ought to have known and removed the risk. Events do not occur because the sponsor may be afraid of liability should an incident occur, or because an incident occurred somewhere else.

So I guess that in this shrinking society we are becoming demanding, and very fearful of harm. This does not encourage openness, outdoor activities, self-reliance, or enjoyment of nature which appears to be very random to most people. This is everyone’s loss. I for one will still go out into the wilderness, such as it is, and enjoy what I see, feel, smell, and hear. Happy Trails.

One last thing. It hurt when I fell out of trees, the cool-aid was gross, but Dam I had a good time.

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