Does Modern Living Replace Adventure?
Early discovery of new countries and regions was the roots of outdoor recreation. The desire to discover and conquer different lands of natural beauty has always been a human psychology trait. Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, and Captain Cooke are all names immediately related to discovery and adventure, but on another level, to risk. When these travellers discovered different places, they were all putting themselves to risk. It is completely different now travelling to different places; there are maps of immaculate detail of just about everywhere in the world.
The development of the protected lifestyle we could be argued to be living in now, has run alongside the idea of modernity. In the pre-modernity stage of this development, life was an adventure in itself. The amenities that we take for granted were not there. It may be argued that the activities that we, as outdoor recreationalists, partake in were just part of daily life. In the modernity stages of this development came the romantic idea of appreciating natural beauty. The industrial revolution meant that people were becoming more and more attracted to the country. People started to appreciate the aesthetics of the outdoors. People started then to realise the effects that people visiting these areas of natural beauty were having. The post-modernity stage brought environmental awareness, clashes of interests within the countryside and even the commercialisation of areas of natural beauty. It may be argued that now, in our post-modernity stage, we are na?ve and softened to the adventure that was part of everyday life in pre-modernity lifestyles.
As competitiveness of different companies rises in the modern day outdoor scene, equipment maybe considered to be another ‘cushioning’ effect of real adventure in the outdoors. The process of civilisation and modernisation both are key factors again. Many years ago when mountaineers would scale mountains for the first time, when kayakers would paddle for the first time down a specific river, and when people would sail great distances in an attempt at ‘discovery’, the equipment was no way near as advanced as it is now. The highly advanced waterproofing systems are an example of these developments. Many years have been spent developing waterproofing systems specifically for the outdoors because the elements play such a large part. In this respect, it may be argued that people wearing these advanced systems are ‘cheating’, and that that they’re not getting ‘back to their roots’ of real adventure. Change within the outdoor scene may be considered a good thing. For example, the use of plastic kayaks as opposed to fibreglass is a quite recent but it has meant that kayakers can now go to places and paddle down rivers that they never were never able to do before because of the crafts being stronger.
Natural beauty is one reason why many people take part in outdoor recreation. Urbanisation is a large part of the developments taking place in the processes of modernisation. The desire to get away from the cities and visit green filled natural spots of beauty is ever increasing. In 1872, this notion was acknowledged along with its’ drawbacks. Yellowstone Park was the first National Park in the world. Adventure was already beginning to be ‘cornered off’. Limits and restrictions were being put in place. The commercialism of the outdoors was just about to be born.
It may be argued that due to the degree in which people have been cushioned by modern day society, many don’t want to experience the outdoors. Many people hate the idea of getting muddy and wet. They have other things to do; they’d rather stay indoors and try to experience a ‘real-life’ safari on the television. These ‘luxuries’ have not been possible forever. Developments over many centuries have created a protected lifestyle that we may be considered as leading now.
The media and technology in communications is very important in the notion that people are now not really experiencing adventure anymore. It is possible now to experience many aspects of adventure without even leaving the house. Adventure in this sense may be considered to be false. However, as technology progresses, it will probably be possible to experience actual expeditions, bungee jumping, and many other ‘adventure’ related activities without leaving the house.
If we perceive aspects of adventure to have been dulled with the advent of new technology, clothing and techniques, what does this hold for future generations? In reality, a child may feel just as nervous about their first ten-metre as someone jumping out of a plane for the first time. Adventure is a feeling, a matter of putting oneself outside of their comfort zone, wherever this may be.
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