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Looks like a case of videophilia, or millions of cases

Posted February 12, 2008 in Talk | 47 views | 0 comments

 

If Senegalese ecologist Baba Dioum was right when he noted that “in the end we will conserve only what we love” and that “we love only what we understand,” the future is looking pretty glum for the outdoos.

 Research funded by The Nature Conservancy and published earlier this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has confirmed what many have been saying for quite some time: people, especially children, are spending less time in the outdoors. Describing the results as “almost terrifying,” Oliver Pergams, assistant professor of biological sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago and lead author of the study, said, “We are seeing a fundamental shift away from people’s interest in nature, not just in the U.S. but in other countries, too.  The consequences of this could be deep and far-ranging for health, for human well-being and for the future of the planet.” The research builds on earlier studies that showed visits to American national parks were declining, but illustrates that the problem isn’t limited to parks and not just to the U.S. Including data on camping; backpacking; fishing; hiking; hunting; and visits to national and state parks and forests, researchers found that beginning between 1981 and 1991 there was a decline in per capita nature recreation of more than 1 percent per year. The typical drop in nature use since then has been between 18 and 25 percent. 

Stephanie Meeks, acting president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy, noted, “If we lose our connection to the natural world, we’ll lose our appreciation for the food, water and clean air it provides.  And the next generation will feel little compulsion to protect it. 

 “We’re facing the most serious environmental threats of our lifetime, particularly in light of the challenges posed by climate change.  We need the next generation to both value the natural world in which we live and fight to protect it.” 

In previous studies, Pergams and others found the decline in natural experiences correlated with a rise in playing video games, surfing the Internet and watching movies. 

 

They call that recent focus on sedentary activities involving electronic media “videophilia.”

Tagged:
the nature conservancy videophilia outdoor use



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