Nature Valley Canada, one of the biggest makers of granola bars and nut bars, released a somber video that points out tech addition among children and teens, and it has already gone viral.
The video, which already garnered almost 500,000 hits since July 7, is part of the Rediscover Nature campaign. Entitled 3 Generations, the video begins with a short description of what it is: three generations in every family were asked the same question, which revolved around their favorite activity during childhood.
The oldest generations composed of grandparents talked about spending a lot of time in the outdoors such as berry picking and fishing. One narrated about his adventure with a bear while carrying a basket of fish.
The second generation, made up by their children, shared how they built forts or spent their time playing with friends.
The mood of the video quickly changed, however, once it was the children's turn to answer the question. Gone are traces of outdoor fun and friends. Rather, all of them talked about their obsession for technology, including games and gadgets. They defined their favorite activities as playing games, texting or e-mailing, and watching videos online.
One teen confessed seeing all episodes of a TV series within 4 days. A younger boy shared how he would often forget his family and pet since he always found himself immersed in the world of gaming.
The children's and teens' responses were then showed to the older generations, who were then asked with another question: what would happen if this type of trend continues once these kids or their future kids grow up? Their answers: mind-boggling, scary, and sad.
The video ends by reminding the views that nature is always part of any memory of a child and that it should continue on.
According to Tech Addiction Canada, in a large study conducted among 7,000 players in 2007, about 12 percent were video game addicts. In another study, video game addiction is linked to poor school performance and depression.