Go Outside and See What the Kids Are Missing

This was the title of a little piece in the USA Today by Craig Wilson. He writes that we shouldn't get caught up in the fact that our kids like to stay inside and play video games and watch TV all day. Instead, we should just go out and go on long journeys ourselves, and explore the way we used to when we were kids.

I suppose that's good advice, but it doesn't answer that lingering question: is it bad for our kids to watch so much TV and play video games?

I always think we should be doing more to cultivate their creativity, spark their desire to learn, and get their little brainwaves moving. Of course, I am guilty of putting on Barney videos for my 1-yr. old daughter before bed to let her relax. I wonder if I should be reading to her instead.

I guess I am hoping that at her age, it doesn't make a big difference. But I still worry that we are raising a bunch of brain-dead kids, who only seem to concentrate when they are staring at a screen. I wonder if they still have science camp?