Biologists have found that in addition to promoting an unhealthy lifestyle, the rising use of video games correlates with a reduction in outdoor nature experiences, and experiencing only "virtual nature" has negative implications for conservation efforts.
Intrepid nature photographers now use high-definition photography to bring unparalleled images of wildlife and a "you-are-there" experience approaching virtual reality to the viewer. It can be at once informative, thrilling and terrifying -- and all from the comfort of your easy-chair or sofa.
While such video gives the public a view of nature never before seen, two biologists warn this technological wonder represents a proverbial double-edge sword.
"Virtual nature, defined as nature experienced vicariously through electronic means, has potential benefits particularly for children dependent on adults for access to many natural areas ... yet virtual nature appears to directly compete with time previously allocated to more beneficial, direct contact with the outdoors," write biologists Oliver Pergams and Patricia Zaradic in the Spring 2007 issue of the Journal of Developmental Processes.
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In accordance with the data presented in this article, I, Kitty Mowmow, am hereby advising you to supplement your Kitty Mowmow's Animal Expo viewing time (oooooh, look at all the pretty animal pictures and nifty articles!) with genuine contact with nature and non-human members of the animal kingdom.
So go for a walk, play in the mud, climb a tree, sit in a field, and pat a cow on the head. And after you're breathless with the thrill of a tactile experience with nature, you can thank me for my magnanimous suggestion. ;D
-Kitty Mowmow
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