Technology's Toll on the Outdoors

In a recent conversation with a good friend of mine, Matt Reilly, Writer of Adventures Afield, a serious topic was brought up. He mentioned that the number of outdoor columns is on a decline. It was that moment when I began to ponder the issue. As the conversation proceeded, my opinion on the subject started becoming clearer, there are less outdoor columns because there are less people in the outdoors.

 

Due to the increase of technology, there are less people in the outdoors. People would rather play video games or watch television, than go see what the outdoors has to offer. Personally, I believe parents and other family members have a role in the declination of the population of the outdoor world. Less parents are introducing their kids to hunting, fishing, camping, or hiking. Family members also aren't in much of a hurry, to take the young ones out either, which I believe to be very detrimental to the outdoor "industry." Instead of getting Red Rider BB guns, or a Zebco rod and reel, children are receiving iPads, iPhones or even an XBOX ONE. How could that possibly be more beneficial to a child than being outdoors, learning about life, from life itself. Don't get me wrong, there are educational apps, that are helpful in the learning process for children. How ever, the outdoors is an essential part of our everyday life.

 

The best pictures are taken outside. Wouldn't you want look at the colorful autumn leaves behind a picture of someone you love rather than just a plain wall? I thought so. Even if you don't want to hunt, you can always photograph the animals. Filming is a huge part of the outdoor industry.

 

  Social media is also a factor in the decline of outdoorsmen and women. People are so interested in finding out who's going where, or what he/she is wearing, or who they're with, that they have no perception of the outdoor life. Social media does indeed have its benefits but you don't need to sell your soul to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It can be used to share your outdoor adventures with friends and family, and assisting in introducing more people to the outdoors.

 

Go outside, go for a walk, and take some pictures of nature and share them with friends and family. Make memories, learn from your outdoor adventures. Enjoy the outdoors! We need to embrace it not destroy it. Get out there and breath in the fresh air. When you're young, everyone is strongly influenced by their peers. So for each kid that we get in the outdoors, there is another one that isn't far behind. The world needs more hunter, fisherman, campers and hikers. If done ethically, they are beneficial to our ecosystem. Hunting and fishing, help to keep the population of the specific species at a good level so that they don't become overpopulated. When one species becomes overpopulated, then there is a problem. Diseases are spread, and I'm not talking about the "common cold." I'm referring to a number of diseases that can wipe out an entire species in a short amount of time. Camping and hiking, allow you to see the outdoors for what it really is. Suppose you have to go out in the woods one day to find your pet, and suddenly you're lost in a thick stand of pines and cant get out. How are you going to survive until someone finds you, if you don't know how? People are so quick to vituperate the outdoors, when they are uneducated as to what the outdoors is all about.

The outdoors offers an endless education. There is always something that you can learn just from being out and exploring. Whether it be hunting, fishing, camping, or hiking, there are things to learn and memories to make. No one can ever know it all.

 

Do yourself a favor, get outdoors. At least give it a shot, you've got nothing to lose. If you're already part of the outdoors, introduce some more people to it, you wont regret it.