No One Going to National Parks? Blame Video Games!

[hideouslywrinkled]

NPR has an interesting story about the decline in per capita National Park attendance. While total attendance at each park hasn’t fallen, the average number of visits per person per year has declined from 1.2 to 0.9.

So what’s to blame for the decline? Why, video games of course. Listen to the story here (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5567214).

Apparently, they’ve never heard of Boktai. Or considered the fact that the U.S. population has grown faster than the number of National Parks. I know plenty of outdoorsy people who don’t go to National Parks because they’re too crowded.

[Heretic Machine]

My Theory: People aren't going to the parks because of all the snakes.

My Solution: More planes.

A stupid answer for every stupid theory.

[Plays4Pants]

So are the parks too crowded or is no one going to them? make sense please

[bone_matrix]

My Theory: People aren't going to the parks because of all the snakes.

My Solution: More planes.

A stupid answer for every stupid theory.

You just gained some Cool Points tm. Awesome answer.

My girlfriend listens to NPR on her way to and from work everyday, so I'm sure she'll mention this to me. But this is dumb. I would blame the number of HDTVs in people's houses before I would blame video games. I mean, think about it. Why go out in the heat when you can see the trees in lifelike clarity on your tv in an air conditioned house?

[crashedout]

How about that less people these days like to camp? Couple that with cheap hotels and travel and more people may be skipping the parks. I think this is good for the wild-life itself. Less people, less pollution.

[digitalErich]

Hmmm, the population of large cities (which are typically distant from National Parks) continues to rise while the number of National Parks doesn't. I don't know...I could see a correlation there, somewhere.

Nothing trumps real research like good old speculation.

[Zurik]

I blame the damn kids and their music...er video games!

[cp#]

A lot of our country's National Parks are really great and have some specutacular natural wonders (My favorite is Mammoth Caves: http://www.nps.gov/maca/).. But most people don't have the desire to keep going to the same park over and over

[XenonCJ]

What about all the wrong number dialers? What are we going to do about them!?!

[BloodPack]

So what the article is saying that although there are less repeat visitors then before, it still effects National parks zilich. Pretty dumb article.

[captainstrombosis]

I'm a bit of an elitist. I used to go site seeing whenever I traveled. But all the stupid people doing stupid things turned me off. For instance, feeding wild animals...right, nice work bud, I hope you die. Starting fires without the right precausions and then the general littering WHILE IN A FUCKING NATIONAL PARK. On top of that you have the increased commercialisation in these parks that appeal to the "average joe".

Because I live in Alaska, an alternative to these sites is simply for me to catch a ride in a bush plane with some hunters than break off and go for my own hikes without having to put up with the ignorance of others. It's much more enjoyable being in nature...with nature...

[Malovech]

I have to say that this must be a US phenomenon. You can't get a camping site anywhere in an Ontario campground after June. We had to make reservations for our sites in February. Mind you this is provincial car camping and not the back country shit.

[DeadPixel]

Johny's ball landed on a used syringe and deflated. As he leaned against a tree to cry he discovered a lovely drawing of two naked men, kissing each other in passion. Walking back to his father he couldn't help but think, there must have been a nice balloon fight here cause there sure are many of them on the ground.

[captainstrombosis]

Johny's ball landed on a used syringe and deflated. As he leaned against a tree to cry he discovered a lovely drawing of two naked men, kissing each other in passion. Walking back to his father he couldn't help but think, there must have been a nice balloon fight here cause there sure are many of them on the ground.

God, I would find that funny if there were not so many used condoms and beer cans lying around some of the Denali sites here...

[DeadPixel]

God, I would find that funny if there were not so many used condoms and beer cans lying around some of the Denali sites here...

My comment is based 100% on observation. I live in San Diego and the highly claimed Balboa park is well known for male prostitution and homeless campground at night.

[captainstrombosis]

My comment is based 100% on observation. I live in San Diego and the highly claimed Balboa park is well known for male prostitution and homeless campground at night.

Well, with 10 minutes of comments I think we can safely say the "Video game theory" Is so retarded that it's a small wonder the man who came up with it can figure out how to breath when he wakes up.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I make it my job to go camping or on a hiking trip at least once a year. i r teh winnar

[Dabombpizza]

It's well known that these national parks are in disrepair as well. NPR ran a story last week (it may have only been oregon) on how it had around $4 million in backlog repairs. Building falling apart, not enough money for cleanup, etc., etc.

But this also correlates with another story they ran about how not many people are backpacking anymore, mainly older people. So the design of backpacks has changed to make them lighter and more comfortable to your average arthritic backpacker.

Also, this article does refrence not just videogames, but the general rise of "sedentary lifestyle", which I can see as a possability. But as always there are multiple reasons for lack of park attendance, and I doubt that video games is one of them (they even say in the article that there is no proof).

[captainstrombosis]

(they even say in the article that there is no proof).

Which is why they should have never brought it up. People don't care if there is no proof aslong as it's spoken on radio or TV. That's why it's a problem. People need to be more responsible when spouting bullshit.

[bean19]

Incredibly high gas prices have nothing to do with it.

[Dabombpizza]

People need to be more responsible when spouting bullshit.

I always cover my mouth.

[captainstrombosis]

I always cover my mouth.

Just to clear things up. Wasn't talking about you, if you took it that way.

[gspot]

How about that less people these days like to camp?
That's good. I fucking hate campers. :D

[Nadreck]

So are the parks too crowded or is no one going to them? make sense please

The article says that while it hasn't affected the actual National Park visitor throughput, they're getting fewer repeat visitors. So, think of it as "The parks are too crowded AND no one is going BACK to them."

Personally, I think it's just some ass trying to cash in on the current vogue scapegoat (video games). The reality is that the National Park system is underfunded, understaffed, overcrowded, and mis-managed, and these factors have significantly more to do with fewer repeat visitors than video games or television. As another person pointed out, there is also the not-insignificant factor of record-high gas prices combined with a distant locale (the parks). If you want some fun reading, go read up on the history of the NPS, and you'll start to realize just how screwed they are.

[jacktion]

I looked at the page where you can listen to this article and thought that this is so stupid that it doesn't deserve my time.
Here is my interpretation of the tagline for this piece.

"A recent study shows that the number of people who visit National Parks has been dropping recently. The authors of the study aren't sure what the reason is but they have decided to blame videogames."

So dumb.

[SMES]

I'm an avid backbacker. Of course, also an avid videogamer. I usually do a 50 to 100 mile multi-night backcountry trip every year or two. The main problem you all observe about litter quickly becomes a non-issue when you walk about a mile out into the parks. If you can see your car then you're not camping. And if you can walk a mile away from the roads and still find male prostitution, condoms, and needles, then that place is a freaking sesspool. Try going to Yosemite some time.

[sanatos]

This news item really makes me wish that everyone in the US had to take a mandatory statistics class. The first thing you learn: correlation does not imply causation.

[captainstrombosis]

I'm an avid backbacker. Of course, also an avid videogamer. I usually do a 50 to 100 mile multi-night backcountry trip every year or two. The main problem you all observe about litter quickly becomes a non-issue when you walk about a mile out into the parks. If you can see your car then you're not camping. And if you can walk a mile away from the roads and still find male prostitution, condoms, and needles, then that place is a freaking sesspool. Try going to Yosemite some time.

Yes, you can go deep into the forest and get away from the people. However the litter should not be there at all. No matter how close to the road you are. If the complete disrespect that people show for these areas doesn't offend you and ruin a part of the enjoyment of even being there. Then I might go so far as to say your not a real camper. Litter shouldn't be tolerated. End of story.

[hideouslywrinkled]

This news item really makes me wish that everyone in the US had to take a mandatory statistics class. The first thing you learn: correlation does not imply causation.

I don't think it would help... Statistics Professors (who should know better) are responsible for the study. ;)

[Sensei-X]

The reason a lot of people don't want to go camping anymore is because they've been convinced by the media that if they go camping they'll get lyme's disease, avian flu and west nile virus and if by some miracle they manage to avoid those, a few years after they go they'll die of skin cancer (if by some incredible luck they were able to escape from the rabies infested squirrels of death). I still remember the good 'ol days when people's worse worries were rubbing up against some poison oak or being mauled by a bear.

[captainstrombosis]

The reason a lot of people don't want to go camping anymore is because they've been convinced by the media that if they go camping they'll get lyme's disease, avian flu and west nile virus and if by some miracle they manage to avoid those, a few years after they go they'll die of skin cancer (if by some incredible luck they were able to escape from the rabies infested squirrels of death). I still remember the good 'ol days when people's worse worries were rubbing up against some poison oak or being mauled by a bear.

Or being picked up and carried away by Mosquito's!

[Lizard Dude]

Who would pay to enter a National Park to play Boktai? :P

Anyway, I love the Pac-Man sounds on the broadcast.

[timmyd]

Video games got me fat and gave me high blood pressure. Now I gotta go to the park to exercise. Just got back from a hike in fact. Bet they didn't think of that angle, huh? And I've been camping like 10 times already. But I did bring my Xbox360 a couple of times.....

[SMES]

Yes, you can go deep into the forest and get away from the people. However the litter should not be there at all. No matter how close to the road you are. If the complete disrespect that people show for these areas doesn't offend you and ruin a part of the enjoyment of even being there. Then I might go so far as to say your not a real camper. Litter shouldn't be tolerated. End of story.
I apologise if I gave the impression that I tolerate litter. Not sure how you got that idea. In fact I said that the place mentioned with all that crap sounds awful. "Sesspool," I think I said. There are a few city parks around me with the perpetually stoned and littering, but most wilderness areas I frequent are pretty nice. I'm sorry you guys have dumps for campgrounds, though. That does suck. I don't really think that places like Balboa park are what the topic of this thread is about though, but I don't know much about southern california parks except that it's hot down there. I got lost in Lancaster one time, which is pretty much my idea of hell.

[51|RandoM]

That sunlight stuff burns, no thanks.

Litter bugs me too. Kind of hard to ignore it in NYC sometimes. Really hard to ignore it when I see people do it without a care in the world. I'm like, "pick that shit up, there is a garbage can about 10 yards in front of your fat lazy worthless ass." Well, that is what I'm thinking. Fortunately I've yet to notice somebody litter like that after I've had enough beer to cloud my judgement. Maybe the man wouldn't be trying to keep you down if you learned wtf a garbage can was for. GRRRRR.

[shnastybiznastic]

I live in Boone, and litter isn't that bad, but I assume it's different in other places.

Hiking Story: So i'm on a short day hike, and i'm about five miles into a trail near Wilson's Creek, and I hear some arguing. Naturally, I want to know what's going on, so I move closer to the bend that the arguing comes from. As I approach the area, I hear:

A: You can't tell me what to do!
B: Actually, Sir, I can.
A: I am a paying member of <Insert Country Club Name Here>!
B: I'll keep that in mind, pick it up.
A: I'm not gonna!
B: Well, if that's the case, i'm going to have to eject you from the park.
A: Well what if I just run off?
B: Do you really think I got this job by being out of shape?

At this point, I look around the corner and it's the generic Wealthy College Kid arguing with a Park Ranger. A Wendy's wrapper is sitting on the trail next to them.

WCK: It's just a piece of paper.
PR: Exactly.
WCK: So just let me go.
PR: No, what youre doing ruins the trail for everyone else.

This goes on for a while, eventually the kid picked up the paper and went on his way. Talking to the Ranger, I found out that this guy is a repeat offender, and very close to getting banned from the park. I guess this is why Boone isn't that bad for litter. :D