2008 Woodie Awards
The Daily OrangeVideophilla growing into latest tree killer
By AJ Chavar
Posted: 2/5/08, 11:06 PM EST Section: Feature
If you're reading this column online right now, you probably don't care about the environment.
At least The National Academy of Sciences thinks so. The academy performed a study that showed a decline in "nature participation" has caused people to put less value in nature. The main culprit, according to the study? Videophilia.
Videophilia is the scientific name for a love of sitting at your computer or TV, playing video games, browsing the Web, watching a clip on YouTube, etc. That's right, video clips of hilarious cats are reducing the amount you care about conserving biodiversity.
OK, that may be a bit extreme, but videophilia is a legitimate scientific word and phenomenon. Its documented effects include obesity, weak social skills, learning disorders and poor school performance, and videophilia is especially damaging to youngsters as well.
In fact, videophilia affects a large part of the population - a number that surely grows every year as more children are brought up in a computers-centric society - and doesn't need to turn you into a Dungeons & Dragons playing fifth-level dark mage in order to have an adverse affect on the ecosystem.
In a way, it's a subconscious mob mentality. A collective amnesia. It says the more our culture migrates toward a digital existence, the less attention we'll pay to what's outside our window. In a real way, our virtual world is affecting our actual world.
The study examined the link between computer, TV, electronics usage and statistics on various outdoor activities collected from The National Park's system, and the outlook is not good.
More time online equates to less time outside, and the study shows that link leads to a decrease in caring about environmental issues like conservation, biodiversity and the ecosystem.
I'm sure I agree. While I readily admit to my marathon computer usage sessions, I try to be active outdoors year-round as well. However, I have noticed firsthand my own lack of motivation to do things outside, and have seen my exercise routine drop dramatically when I began to spend a lot more time on my computer for class, work and funny cat videos.
At least The National Academy of Sciences thinks so. The academy performed a study that showed a decline in "nature participation" has caused people to put less value in nature. The main culprit, according to the study? Videophilia.
Videophilia is the scientific name for a love of sitting at your computer or TV, playing video games, browsing the Web, watching a clip on YouTube, etc. That's right, video clips of hilarious cats are reducing the amount you care about conserving biodiversity.
OK, that may be a bit extreme, but videophilia is a legitimate scientific word and phenomenon. Its documented effects include obesity, weak social skills, learning disorders and poor school performance, and videophilia is especially damaging to youngsters as well.
In fact, videophilia affects a large part of the population - a number that surely grows every year as more children are brought up in a computers-centric society - and doesn't need to turn you into a Dungeons & Dragons playing fifth-level dark mage in order to have an adverse affect on the ecosystem.
In a way, it's a subconscious mob mentality. A collective amnesia. It says the more our culture migrates toward a digital existence, the less attention we'll pay to what's outside our window. In a real way, our virtual world is affecting our actual world.
The study examined the link between computer, TV, electronics usage and statistics on various outdoor activities collected from The National Park's system, and the outlook is not good.
More time online equates to less time outside, and the study shows that link leads to a decrease in caring about environmental issues like conservation, biodiversity and the ecosystem.
I'm sure I agree. While I readily admit to my marathon computer usage sessions, I try to be active outdoors year-round as well. However, I have noticed firsthand my own lack of motivation to do things outside, and have seen my exercise routine drop dramatically when I began to spend a lot more time on my computer for class, work and funny cat videos.
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