Commentary No. 6,466,334 from a paper in Connecticut:

The researchers added, “The replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor videophilia has far-reaching consequences for physical and mental health, especially in children. Videophilia has been shown to be a cause of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders and poor academic performance.”

Statistics on people trekking the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail support their findings. The number of hikers surged through the 1970s and 1980s, but then began tailing off. In 2001, 2,375 northbounders started the trail in Georgia and 622 finished in Maine; in 2002, 1,875 started and 589 finished; in 2003, 1,750 started and 600 finished; in 2004, 1,535 started and 578 finished; in 2005, 1,392 started and 546 finished; and in 2006,1,150 started and 488 finished.

So, will backpacking one day be remembered as a quaint fad of a bygone era, like dancing the Macarena or playing with a hula-hoop? While I have no specific demographic data to report, I can say in recent years I’ve seen far more Baby Boomers on the trail than Gen-Xers, which does not bode well for the future.

The essay notes that these days lots more people drive to trail heads and take day hikes.

Another story in a Colorado newspaper notes that Scouts these days are more apt to be thinking about video games than camping.

“Once you get the kids out there, they love it,” he said. “It’s getting them out there that’s hard.”

I’ve never seen a kid yet who didn’t love to rip and tear through the outdoors. Look at the way toddlers play in the waves at the beach despite the water being ice cold. Definitely not the kids’ fault that they’re not getting out much.