Cellular phones, global internet access, satellite television, and online gaming systems have transformed our everyday world into Marshal McLuhan’s electronic global village. Technology has now entered all areas of children’s lives: home, school, and toys. A new film by a Norwegian-born film maker Tonje Hessen Schei entitled “Play Again” takes an in-depth look at the virtual world vs. natural world and its effect on children’s outdoor free-play. Schei questions whether the virtual world is causing children to lose their connection with the natural world around them, and whether this will have a negative impact on children’s natural connection to nature.
The documentary follows six American teenagers in their first exposures to the natural world and outdoor play after they are forced to disconnect from the virtual world where they spend an average of five to fifteen hours a day in. The film interviews several experts in the field and explores the impact the virtual world is having on our children and their futures.
The documentary film will be screening around the world in limited release (check website for location and schedules), and is also available for private screenings.