Cell phones have taken the place of tree climbing and kick ball
In an age where technology rules the world, some vital components of everyday living are at risk. While it is clear that technology is here to stay, people are beginning to question, how much screen time is too much? According to a study done by Common Sense Media, 59 percent of the parents said that their children were addicted to technology. Sixty-six percent said that their children spend too much time on screen. According to the same study, teens spend an average of six hours and 40 minutes per day on a screen.
In another study, Common Sense Media surveyed 1,786 parents. The question asked: “How much time do parents spend online?” The answer: 9.37 hours per day. Of those nine hours, only roughly two hours were work related. Based on these statistics, it is clear why outdoor recreational activities are at an all-time low.
According to Jamie Bellanceau, a former day care provider, the dynamics for taking care of other people’s children have changed as well. Bellanceau, who cared for children ages 3 months to 12 years old, said, “Some changes would be the lack of interest in being outside as opposed to being on electronics. Kids do not seem to want to disconnect from things to be outside. I think this makes kids more distant from social interaction.” The young children seem to be an issue as well. According to Common Sense Media, screen time in children zero-to-8 year-olds increased drastically between 2013 and 2017 climbing from roughly 15 minutes per day to 48 minutes per day.
This increase in screen time among families and especially young people could potentially have made an impact in the use at North Maine Woods. Mike McLellan, commercial use manager at North Maine Woods, said, “It’s likely a cultural trend for several reasons, one of them being in the age of internet and smart phones, today’s youth are literally plugged-in. So it’s likely that outdoor activities in an un-plugged environment are less appealing.” He also said, “Today’s youth have very busy school and social schedules between school activities, sports and social events.”
When asked about screen time trends, Bellanceau also said, “I think one of the main causes is that parents seem to be more connected at home than they used to be. Before many of the modern technologies took over, parents would leave their job at night and be able to come home and simply focus on their kids. Now their work tends to come home with them. As kids see parents doing less and less outside, they follow suit. In some cases, it is easier for parents to plug kids into devices or as a type of ‘supervision.’ The generation now having children grew up with this growing technology, so it’s just being passed along.”
Bellanceau said, “I not only encouraged outdoor activities, it was made into our daily schedule. Weather permitting, there would be outside time in the morning, and again in the afternoon. More time was outside if it were nicer. Outside activity happened all year.” She went on to say, “I believe it is very important for the health and development of children. Being active outside, exercising, Vitamin D, etc., have many positive health benefits for children. Not to mention it causes them to have to interact with other children, play and use their imaginations.”
Outdoor activities are declining. There are clear decreases in several activities such as hunting and fishing in this region. If parents are not going, it is likely that the children are not partaking either. If the outdoor recreations continue to decline, it is likely to have lasting effects in the region. McLellan said, “It’s of the utmost importance to get kids engaged in outdoor activities. I think the overall physical and mental health of future generations depends on it. You hear so much today about childhood obesity, opiate addiction and even addiction to technology that was simply unheard of when I was growing up. Put it this way: something in society has changed, and it appears a symptom of this change is a society that is less engaged in the outdoors.”
Though cost is another likely factor in the decrease of activities, there are some lower cost activities available. McLellan said, “North Maine Woods is striving to make it more cost- effective for families to come camping and to get kids engaged in outdoor activities. North Maine Woods allows anyone under the age of 18 to visit and camp free. We also have passes that provide great discounts for people that use the area more than seven days or nights, either seasonally or annually.”
Outdoor recreation is a dying industry. Companies like North Maine Woods are putting every effort forward to increase outdoor recreation to ensure that it will be available for future generations. The fate of recreational activities is in the hands of the young people of this country. It is important to promote and encourage families to unplug and begin enjoying the great outdoors.
