The greens have outlawed most forms of recreation in ‘nature’ , (Depending on the area, mountain bikes/OHVs/Hunting/Fishing/Boating) and city kids thrown into a country environment are pretty clueless as to how to have that kind of fun anyway. Not that they are stupid, but when you grow up without the woods around you, you can’t reasonably know what to do in it once you get there.
Same for a country kid in the big city.
But my point is that today, Kids are force fed the idea that ‘Gaia’ is something to be worshiped and ‘protected’, not played in. What happens when the average Animal Planet fan gets to all the places they saw on TV? The first thing they see is a sign telling them all the ‘forbidden’ things there.
The place I grew up (Adirondack Park NY) is now one big nature preserve that tops the list. Pretty much everything I grew up doing is now forbidden or is in the process of becoming so.
I totally understand why kids don’t bother and escape to a virtual world. There is still some freedom for them in it.
Do kids play outside anymore?
I grew up in suburbia. And I remember going to friends houses, unannounced, asking if friends could come out to play. Imagine that, no need to schedule a play date. I remember kids being outside playing as you rode bikes around the neighborhood.
Nowadays, taking a walk around suburban neighborhoods, where you know many children live, you would swear you are in a ghost town. You see very few children outside playing in backyards, or riding bikes or any other outdoor activity.