Play Again

Gr 9 Up—This film contends that children need to experience nature, and technology robs them of the opportunity to spend time in the natural world. The film profiles several self-identified "screen-addicted" teens and tweens in Portland, Oregon, who wean themselves from gaming and texting during their first wilderness camp experience where there is no electricity, cell phones, or computer screens. There is little tension or conflict shown by these young adventurers—the children grumble so rarely that it's hard to believe they are the couch potatoes they claim to be. Bucolic scenes of children in sun-dappled forests are interspersed with hard-hitting interviews with experts about technology addiction. Psychologists and journalists offer dire predictions about the future: sedentary children will die younger, children without a love of nature will perpetuate environmental destruction. The film would have been stronger if it offered more than one example of how children can take a break from technology to experience nature. Not everyone lives in a beautiful place like Oregon or can afford an outdoor adventure camp. Because this film is alarmist, dark, and offers almost no constructive advice, it is difficult to imagine screening this in an educational or extracurricular setting. Also, it seems ironic that you would spend 80 minutes in front of a screen to learn about screen addiction and the beauty of nature. Why not spend that time outside instead?—Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard High School Early College Queens, Long Island City, NY