Remember the Outdoors?

When you said that there are more overweight people in the world than underweight, I was very surprised. I know that obesity is becoming a major problem in America and across the world, but to hear that, though there are starving people suffering in every country, there are more people suffering from obesity, is absolutely horrifying. It's very sad and I hope someday soon we beat world hunger and obesity. That was a great topic!

This was a quick yet entertaining read. I loved all of the examples you used throughout the piece to put images in the readers' heads such as,

"We would play jump rope for hours or play a wicked game of four square until we heard the dreaded sound of our parents calling us in saying that it's getting too late."

This quote and others like it added to the lightness and enjoyment of this piece. I particularly enjoyed the change of mood you used when you transitioned into this quote,

"I was reading an article a couple weeks ago written by a physician and I came across something that left me completely and utterly appalled 'right now, present day there are more overweight people than there are underweight people'."

The severity of this excerpt really played with the reader's emotions. Overall, great job!

~ Michael

I think you manage to exploit the problem of people overweight in America growing. I like how you link the problem of technology to obesity, ".. I think a large part of why we are so overweight is because of all the technology has corrupted us ". I also agree that many people devote much of their time to technology that ends up replacing much of the time that we use and need to keep us in an appropriate physical form. This post draws the much needed attention the growing problem of obesity and what's replacing exercise! Good job!

I agree with the quote "I wanna know what happened to the kids of this generation". Kids are so obsessed with video games, computer games, and social media these days. Rather than going outside and playing with other kids down the street they would rather stay inside and browse through Facebook. This is making kids less social and spending way too,inch time indoors and not exercising enough.

I really liked how you put yourself as an example for your topic and I also really liked the title of your article. I also liked how you would say that we should go outside more but that we shouldn't not use technology completely.

This is SOO true! Not enough people in America ever spend enough time I the outdoors the way they should.

This made me stop and think about our generation more than i usually do. This topic is so relevant and important to our lives. I totally get where you coming from when you asked what happened to playing outdoors all the time. We need more people to motivate eachother to be actie instead on sitting on the couch for the rest of our lives.

This is topic so true. When I was little a play date meant that you were outside the whole entire time playing tag or climbing trees. Now a play date means that you're inside the whole time playing on whatever the latest technology is. I miss the old days.

I consider myself to be fit. I weigh 120lbs, play soccer and lacrosse, and ride my bike on a daily basis. I like to play with my friends outside and do so a lot. But you are right. Wherever you look, there seems to be an overwieght person in the group. I think a good amount of this comes from people being lazy, sitting around an watching TV. There are people that actually can't get off they're couch and take a small run. When you say that there are "more overweight people then underwieght," it breaks my heart. How do this people live? And its even worse when you think about all the men and women starving in other countries. But there is no way to force them. They are a lost cause.

I completely agree with this article. I am part of this generation but I don't act like I am. I don't play video games during the day. The only time I do is at night before I go to bed. During the day I love going outside and playing. I love going up to a field with my friends and playing football, soccer or handball. I love going in my woods behind my house and catching frogs. I love to feel the cool air on my face and hear all the different sounds of nature. Even though I am not wrapped up in technology a lot of children are, including a lot of my friends. Sometimes we will be inside just sitting on the couch and someone or I will suggest something exciting to do, something active. The idea soon gets shot down by everyone there. I also know a lot of kids that are overwieght, and sometimes these are the kids that want to go outside and play even though they aren't very good at the activity they suggested. The kids that are usually to lazy to exercise or play are the kids that are skinny and the ones that would rather lounge around all day. I believe that technology has sucked some life out of our and future generations. Technology is great and I agree I'd be lost without it but the fact that there are more overwieght people then healthy people is a big red flag that something needs to change. My younger brother would rather play on his iPod Touch then do something productive. All around I believe that technology has weakened the minds of our generation which causes less ambition to be healthy and also to excell in school. I feel that more children have to look past technology to see what the world has to offer. When I go outside and play with my friends I get such an adrenaline rush, the huffing in my breath gets me more and more excited. I wish more people could get this feeling I get because you don't have to be the most athletic to get this feeling, you can simply love the feeling of laughing and doing SOMETHING with your day. 

I completely agree with this article. I am part of this generation but I don't act like I am. I don't play video games during the day. The only time I do is at night before I go to bed. During the day I love going outside and playing. I love going up to a field with my friends and playing football, soccer or handball. I love going in my woods behind my house and catching frogs. I love to feel the cool air on my face and hear all the different sounds of nature. Even though I am not wrapped up in technology a lot of children are, including a lot of my friends. Sometimes we will be inside just sitting on the couch and someone or I will suggest something exciting to do, something active. The idea soon gets shot down by everyone there. I also know a lot of kids that are overwieght, and sometimes these are the kids that want to go outside and play even though they aren't very good at the activity they suggested. The kids that are usually to lazy to exercise or play are the kids that are skinny and the ones that would rather lounge around all day. I believe that technology has sucked some life out of our and future generations. Technology is great and I agree I'd be lost without it but the fact that there are more overwieght people then healthy people is a big red flag that something needs to change. My younger brother would rather play on his iPod Touch then do something productive. All around I believe that technology has weakened the minds of our generation which causes less ambition to be healthy and also to excell in school. I feel that more children have to look past technology to see what the world has to offer. When I go outside and play with my friends I get such an adrenaline rush, the huffing in my breath gets me more and more excited. I wish more people could get this feeling I get because you don't have to be the most athletic to get this feeling, you can simply love the feeling of laughing and doing SOMETHING with your day. 

This is really surprising, and is a huge issue today. Kids should not be home just laying around doing nothing. They should be active and be playing sports. Everyday when I finish homework, I hang out with my friends and play football or basketball outside. This is what every kid should be doing in the US. Instead of sitting on the couch watching TV, they should be playing outside playing anything. You don't even have to go outside. If you have a sibling or not you can do many things like basketball on a mini hoop. Or you can play soccer. There are countless things you can do inside or outside that is active instead of sitting on your couch. This what I think every kid should be doing in the world today to prevent obesity.

I can agree with the the title of this discussion. Gaming, T.V, and technology have taken over the way the world lives everyday. Games like Xbox, ps3, and PC's have changed the way we live by making kids, teens, and even adults have less an outdoor life-style.

All kids need a hour of exercise a day or else they will not grow and be healthy kids. My dad is very strict with the time I spend indoors and the the time I spend on technology. I play two sports football and basketball and that is about 3 hours out doors. Plus the weekends is about 21 hours of sports a week, and no its not like a punishment it's someone I really enjoy. Stats show that a 23% of people who watch TV or play video games are less social than the average humans. People need to realize what we can do in our life instead of sitting on the couch all day! So yeah I do like and enjoy the outdoors,but some couch potatoes get obese and unsocial just because they aren't getting enough exercise a day? Make a difference.

OK. So, I agree with everything in this article. I also sometimes think that out of the 16 hours that I am awake Technology is a BIG part of my day. I would say that during the 7 hours of school, we use technology about 4 hours of technology each day! On an average, that is 20 hours a week, and on an average of 4 hours per day, that is 720 hours of technology each school year. That is not even including the time we are at home!. Technology has become a large part of our life over the past 3-4 years. From my perspective, we use to much. I like to go outside and ride my bike for 5 hours straight on some weekend days with my friends. All I am trying to say is that we use WAY TOO MUCH TECHNOLOGY.

I am very guilty of not always going out side on the perfect autumn day and staying in on my laptop with tabs and tabs of useless social networking sites. But when I was younger I was always outside playing with neighbors and friends until my mom called me in. You are not alone when you see less kids outside. And in my opinion taking a bike is almost like a last resort.

It was shocking to read that there are more people overweight than underweight. It scared me and when more people learn this fact I think it will be Americas eye opener to reduce obesity. I do think one of the reasons why America and the world are like this is because of technology. But like all things there are ups and downs.

I have to say that I am a new generation kid, but I don't feel like one. Usually I am out side in my driveway shooting hockey pucks, or in my backyard playing football and lacrosse, but the reality is, when you go inside after that you just sit down and play xbox or something like that. Most people may not even go outside at all and might just get home from school and sit down and watch tv all day. I also see people all over so consumed in there phones its like there in a dream world. I also agree that it unbelievable that parents don't say go outside, or do something else, because I used to get home and just watch tv all day until my dad took my xbox away and I went outside and noticed how much funner it is than sitting on my but all day doing nothing. Also, now that people are getting overweight because of technology, I just cant believe it. My street has so many kids on it but I rarely ever see anyone on there bikes or playing football, but when I go on xbox all of my friends are busy playing Modern Warfare, or watching movies. Whenever I want to go to my friends house I will just ride my bike over, but my friends that live like 2 minutes away will still ask for a ride over. This is because we are too dependent on technology, and really, technology makes things easier, and that makes you fat. We need to stop being so dependent on technology, and go outside and play, or try to ride your bike instead of riding in your parents minivan.

The fact that there are more overweight people than underweight people is terrible. The reason people are overweight is because of technology. Kids are sitting at home on their phones and playing video games when they should be outside playing. When I'm with my friends we almost always play a game of football or basketball and when we can't go outside we play ping pong. Some of my friends live close and instead of having my mom drive me I walk or ride my bike.

People also eat too much. I eat a lot, however I'm 13 and only weigh 95 lbs. The reason I'm not overweight is because I'm active and don't sit hone all day playing video games. My brother eats all the junk food my mom brings home, but he is also active and is not overweight. People in the world are starving and people in America are having problems because they eat to much food.

Kids of this generation are changing. Not everyone is active. Kids would rather sit home and play Madden than actually play a game of football. I play video games, but only when my friends are over or at night when I don't have anything else to do. Some kids play video games and eat all day. If you're eating all that junk food and not working it off it just continues to add up until you are obese. The obesity is a major problem in America today, 190 million people are obese and 400,000 are dying from it every year. This is a huge problem and has to be fixed.

I agree with you by saying that many people are not going outside to play with their friends. In this day and age people don't even have to leave their house to play videogames with someone else. Kids spend too much time inside.

Many kids have friends over but they spend the whole time gaming. With so many games out and so many different things that you can play on, videogame console, computer, phone, ipod, ect. it's so easy for a kid to play. An example would be that a kid wants to go outside and play football, but why should he go outside to play it when he can play on his xbox. So many kids do this because it's easier and some find it more fun. I don't think it is though.

Me and my friends though don't spend much time playing videogames we play outside until it gets too dark to see, but after that what should we do? Play videogames or watch tv. What else should we, but in this day we don't have many kids that spend most of there time outside we have many kids who have friends over and they play video games or watch tv the whole time. Kids need to cut back on spending time inside.

Video games are extremely appealing to a kids eye. The commercials for the new games are cool and they make the game look so much fun and makes it look like the best thing until the next one comes out, and kids just buy one then the next and the next and play them and if they get bored of one they can just play another one out of millions. There are so many video games and tv shows. Kids love to play them because they look so cool.

Overall I think kids should only play videogames when there's nothing else to do. Kids should play more outside with their friends. They will become healthier and live a better life. The outdoors are better than being inside playing videogames.

I agree with you by saying that many people are not going outside to play with their friends. In this day and age people don't even have to leave their house to play videogames with someone else. Kids spend too much time inside.

Many kids have friends over but they spend the whole time gaming. With so many games out and so many different things that you can play on, videogame console, computer, phone, ipod, ect. it's so easy for a kid to play. An example would be that a kid wants to go outside and play football, but why should he go outside to play it when he can play on his xbox. So many kids do this because it's easier and some find it more fun. I don't think it is though.

Me and my friends though don't spend much time playing videogames we play outside until it gets too dark to see, but after that what should we do? Play videogames or watch tv. What else should we, but in this day we don't have many kids that spend most of there time outside we have many kids who have friends over and they play video games or watch tv the whole time. Kids need to cut back on spending time inside.

Video games are extremely appealing to a kids eye. The commercials for the new games are cool and they make the game look so much fun and makes it look like the best thing until the next one comes out, and kids just buy one then the next and the next and play them and if they get bored of one they can just play another one out of millions. There are so many video games and tv shows. Kids love to play them because they look so cool.

Overall I think kids should only play videogames when there's nothing else to do. Kids should play more outside with their friends. They will become healthier and live a better life. The outdoors are better than being inside playing videogames.

I think that the op of this discussion makes a very valid point. I can personally agree with the statement that "On a beautiful sunny day instead of hearing the sound of children's laughter in the neighborhood, all I is hear silence because their all locked away in their rooms emerged in their video games." I used to come home from school and do my homework as fast as possible. Then I would rush outside as fast as possible to play any variation of sports and just have a good time. Now though it is quite quiet in the neighborhood. It started when my neighbor got an xbox 360. He got call of duty and then started spending less and less time outside. I then soon after assumed he no longer wanted to play together and then started to watch more tv and go on the computer more often. I now go to the gym quite often to make up for that but, I still think that playing with your friends is one of the best way to get exercise because then for quite a lot of people it is no longe a chore but a way to have fun.

I think this article form the Easy earth blog article supports my argument. http://eartheasy.com/blog/2012/04/are-children-spending-enough-time-outd...
“When driving to town, I pass empty fields where children used to play ball till dark every night in summer…” I think this is perfectly true. I usually read books in my living room on the couch infront of big windows that show the street. I also live across from a park. I almost never see any children going into the park. Almost all of them get driven through the park by their parents while they are on their smart phones. What is the point of having a place where you can get some good exercise when everyone just drives through it.
"...group of youngsters moving through the airport, each of them with expressionless faces pressed into their smart phones. This quote also reinforces the fact that kids dont spend enough time outdoors. Many kids are so involved with Facebook, twitter, Instagram,etc that they can't take their eyes off them. This makes it less likely that they will go outside and play. I think all in all the fact that kids no longer have a as big of a reason to go outside as before and how they feel pressured to always be social networking.

I am very surprised by your post “Remember the Outdoors” because technologies have definitely changed the lives of many children. Before people didn’t have all the technologies we have now, that is why they used to go outside more. Others have the possibility to stay home playing video games or using the computer, but they prefer to go outside. It all depends on the person and what they like to do.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: “We would play jump rope for hours or play a wicked game of foursquare until we heard the dreaded sound of our parents calling us in saying that it's getting too late.” This is relates to me because I used to do the same; I used to go outside and play with my friends, and my parents used to do the same thing to me. Now I enjoy going outside to the park and spending time with friends, but I love social networks and I do spend a lot of time on my phone. I believe that there could be a combination of both; people could spend some time outside and use their phone.

Another sentence that was very interesting to me was: “But there comes a point when your too attached to your technology.” This was interesting because I’m attached to my phone, and I’m always using my phone. I think technologies is one of man’s greatest invention. People should be able to balance themselves and know when to stop. I believe children are just fascinated but all these new technologies, and I don’t blame them. I think that they should go outside and play, but that’s not the only thing they should do.

I agree with you that things have changed, and children don’t play outside as much as they used to before, but they are impressed by all the new video games and by the fact that they don’t have to be with somebody in order to have a little bit of fun. I disagree with you that technology have ruined our potential to face some things in life. but it all depends on the type of person someone is.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to see what you write next because this post was very interesting. I hope you write another post about this topic because It really caught my attention. I would like to know more details about why you think this way.

Dear Sandy,

I am interested about your post "Remember the Outdoors?" because I also think that there are too many people just staying inside their homes playing video games or using the computers too much instead of playing outside.

One sentence you wrote that stands out for me is: " I’m not saying that all technology is bad, I would personally crumble without my iPhone." I think this is true because technology isn’t meant to be a bad thing, it was just a form of entertainment or to stay in touch with people. If a person a abuses something so much that is when it becomes a bad thing.

Another sentence that I liked was: "But there comes a point when your too attached to your technology." This stood out for me because I feel that there are too many people attached to technology. some people would break down if they don’t have their phones and laptops for a good 2-3 days.

Thanks for your writing. I look forward to seeing what you write next, because i believe that what you said is something that i could agree with. Some people have become corrupt with technology.

"All I is hear silence because their all locked away in their rooms emerged in their video games. Im not saying that all technology is bad, I would personally crumble without my iPhone" that is very true. I posted this comment to tell you how I agree with your blog. Since this generation has all these high tech mobile devices and video games that you can play on televisions, many are glued to them. There are a few risk factors if they keep doing this. One, you can become over weight by watching TV for to long, two, you will not be getting your vitamin D. If teens are more active and go outside more often they will be physically fit they would be receiving their vitamin D, they will be at a low risk being obese and they will have the ability to become more intelligent.