Ever wonder why 3-D glasses were invented? Well, I don’t think it was to make the trees and flowers in the yard look better. Or to get a better look at ocean waves or the stars at night. As we all know, 3-D glasses were invented to make things on a two dimensional screen look more real. It’s remarkable how much effort and technology has gone into making two dimensional entertainment appear more real and life-like. Now contrast 2D entertainment with a real life experience I had whitewater rafting when I was 16 years old.
Snake River, Wyoming.
“The July day was warm and the mountain air was fresh as we walked down from the parking lot towards the river carrying our raft over our heads. As we approached the water, a cool breeze blew towards us with the moisture spray coming off the frothing surface of the river. As we took our places on the raft and pushed off from the shore, we soon joined the swift river current that was mighty and alive! Our guide sat at the rear of the raft and whose instruction we depended on to enter the rapids successfully. Each set of rapids was completely unique. At a couple points, it felt as if myself or one of my buddies would tumble off the raft into the water as our raft tilted from side to side through the rough whitewater. (We were prepared for such an event with each of us securely wearing a life-jacket.) Some of the rapids were so large that we would rise 8-10 feet into the air before plunging down the other side. It was exhilarating! By the end of our ride, I was grateful I had not been assigned to the front of the raft. While got the occasional splash in the middle, the guys in the front of the raft were drenched from all the cold water that had cascaded over them. Nevertheless, their excitement and enjoyment was no less than mine as they shivered with smiles on their faces.”
Now, how would this experience been different if I had simply sat at home watching a YouTube video of rafting on the Snake River . . . ? What would I have missed out on?
Well, just about everything.
When we spend lots of time watching others on a screen, we limit ourselves in our ability to prepare for and experience things in the real world. Now, I’m not saying there’s zero value from watching others do things in movies or videos. Indeed, watching others on video can be very instructive, motivating, and insightful. However, great opportunity is lost when screen-time becomes excessive. If we are not careful, screen-time can stunt the development of full dimensional experiences in each of our lives.
As the guide and guardians of our children and youth, we have a great opportunity to teach them to value and prepare for real, full dimensional experiences in their lives. We can teach our children healthy habits and routines in their use of media technology. We can also teach our youth to use screen-time as a tool for inspiration and preparation in their lives. When used with a purpose in mind, media technology can help us prepare for and seek out amazing experiences in our real, majestic, and beautiful world.
Photo by Baskin Creative Studios on Pexels.com
Photo by Manik Mandal on Pexels.com