In today’s fast-paced world, technology permeates every aspect of our lives, influencing how we engage with “the great outdoors”. From smartphones that serve for literally everything (they provide real-time navigation, have a variety of downloadable apps, and they even help us learn how to use our betting odds calculator or explore a similar thing we’re interested in), all the way to advancements in sports gear, the impact of technology on outdoor recreational activities is undeniable. Yet, while these innovations have the potential to enrich our experiences, they also come with challenges, such as gadget overload and a few others. So, let’s explore the various ways technology shapes our outdoor pursuits, examining both its benefits and drawbacks, and ultimately highlighting how individual choices determine the nature of our interactions with the natural world.
Safety and Practicality
Technology allows us to communicate with somebody across the world in less than a second. This also provides us with a lot of practical options, whether to communicate, order food or get around. Smartphones give us maps and the ability to navigate the world, with clear instructions and an immersive and easy to understand guide.
Being able to call for help in any situation provides us with safety.
Whether hiking on a mountain or taking a walk in a park in the middle of a city, technology can help us feel safer, while also giving us practical tools to use.
Better Gear for Sports and Leisure
Recreational activities are sometimes physical, but they do not have to be. Cheaper and safer gear for sports and other physical recreational activities is possible through advancements in mass production and sports-specific safety gear research.
Leisure activities also benefit from having better gear, whether better walking shoes or access to thousands of guides if you want to learn something online, from how to shift gears in a car to how to have a perfect forehand in tennis.
Gadget Paralysis
Some people get lost in all the gadgets and shiny colors, choosing to purchase gear rather than put their bodies to use. Gear is helpful or rather, it could be, if it were actually in use. Some people purchase all the latest gear, yet fail to put them to use in any recreational activity.
Having access to shiny objects can lead to an over-reliance on using gear or even purchasing gear, rather than using what we already have. This does not plague just outdoor recreational activities, but every other industry, like music and even PC building.
Too Much Screen Time
Even when outdoors, some people are on Instagram or another social media network. Their minds are conjuring up ideas about another great photo or another idea for a post or a story. While technology can give us amazing tools, it also gives us toys which are very distracting.
Instead of playing a sport outdoors, one would be taking pictures where they appear to be playing a sport or would just quit playing after a while, to catch up on whatever happened during the past 15 minutes of no screen time.
It Depends on the Individual
Technology gives us better options when it comes to everything, from vehicles to recreational activities. How we use the technology and to what end, depends solely on us. Some people like gadgets way too much, while others are minimalistic when it comes to technology and any activity, let alone outdoors activities.
In a vacuum, technology should make things better, but we often misuse it. Some can put their phones away, others never put them down.
Outdoor recreational activities are getting better through technology and research. They get safer and more approachable and easier to understand. However, we tend to misuse technology and with that, there are some negatives with everything being at the palms of our hands.
