Electronics have irreversibly changed our world.
In some ways for the better - many of you know me thanks to Facebook, Instagram and my website.
Yet these new times hold unprecedented challenges.
The most profound pitfalls I believe, are the impacts that social media, video games and online commerce have had on our attention spans and motivation systems.
I am sure all of you can attest to the reality that instant gratification and constant stimulation don’t do our brains any favors.
It is one thing for us as adults to navigate these challenges; and it’s another for our children. They have no memory of life without the digital world.
We had childhoods filled with bike rides, playing with toys, and quiet moments looking out the window to dream to our wildest imagination. We had no choice but to exist in the physical, real world.
If we don’t take rein on the forces of modernity, the children of today and tomorrow will only feel comfortable behind a screen.
We have an opportunity to leverage the modern times to create a better world.
We can have the best of both worlds.
We can use the blessings of the digital age to foster a healthier connection with reality.
It is my mission to bring people back into their bodies. Instilling a sense of excitement for physical activity.
Parkour happens to be my tool for creating this change.
One of my favorite things to tell kids who love video games is that parkour is like a video game in real life - but better. It’s better, I say, because each time you “level up” by learning new skills, you tangibly improve yourself in the real world.
A wonderful way I like to blend the old with the new is filming. Many kids love to be filmed because they get to see themselves doing awesome things that they are proud of. With permission, I share these videos online. Posting students’ videos achieves two things - it is a commemoration of the child’s hard work, and they serve as inspiration to other parents and children that these skills are possible for them too.
My hope is that we work step by step to integrate our children into this new world in ways which truly serve them. Allowing them to both embrace the new, while experiencing the totality of what it means to be human.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. We are all in this together.
