I've heard about the Wii and all the sports you can play with a handheld controller but I was always skeptical about how effective and how fun they were. Today, I finally laid my hands on a Wii, at the Wii Sports Resort pop-up tents at South Street Seaport. There were tents set up for every sport (canoeing, swordplay, basketball to name a few) and friendly staff in Hawaiian shirts to assist players.

 The first game I tried was Canoeing, and I have to say that after 15 seconds, I felt very awkward rowing with a controller. Next up was Basketball, which was pretty fun, but it was probably because I'm more familiar with the sport. I did enjoy Swordplay, which consisted of lots of whacking and slashing. Nevertheless, I still felt weird moving around while not really moving around. I think I'll stick to the real sport. Great event though! There were even pretty resort chais set up. 

Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has become an international holiday, and celebrations have included people of all ages. The first Earth Day events were held on college campuses by many of the same student groups who organized anti-Vietnam War protests. Earth Day was designed to take place in the springtime so that people would go outside and enjoy the natural beauty that the holiday encourages us to preserve. Ironically, I didn't realize that today was the day until I found myself in a basement full of computers.

I was using my school's computer lab to print out some homework when I saw this sign:

In addition to becoming aware of today's holiday status, I was suddenly struck by the importance of indoor conservation. The environment is outside, and a lot of the activities that happen on Earth Day happen outside as well, but some of the things with the biggest impact on our environment take place inside.

The NYU computer labs used today to cut back on printing and electricity use, which I think is pretty meaningful. We all spend a lot of time on the computer these days-- if you're here reading PlayCity right now, then you're consuming energy and using a computer. Computers and electronics keep becoming a bigger part of our lives each year, and they enable some great things. Computers can help us get in touch with other activists, find events, and even keep us in shape (computerized treadmills anyone?) They also pose a serious ecological danger, however.

The materials in consumer electronics products (especially in rechargeable batteries) are terrible for the environment, so we need to make sure that we recycle our computers properly if we don't want battery acids leaching into soil and water. If you have old technology that you don't want, don't just throw it out, whether it's a stairmaster or a laptop. Check into donation and dismantle programs in order to keep yourself eco-friendly. The environment may be outside, but the things we do inside affect it as well. Check out this video for a look into the ecological side of computers in the spirit of the holiday:

When I asked some computer lab employees about the Earth Day policies, they told me that I was the only person all day to say anything about it at all. I like to think that other users were just to busy to stop and chat, because I think that computers are here to stay, and we need to get serious about making them fit in with the planet asap!

I gave up television and video games about eight years ago. I don't really remember if it was a moral decision or a practical one.

It could have been based on a growing irritation with viewing unapologetic racist/sexist stereotyping in sitcoms and television shows. It could have stemmed from my disgust regarding advertisers' relentless push to sell trivial (and often ecologically destructive) items. It could have had something to do with the psychological tools marketers employ to make consumers feel that what they have is never good enough. It could have been a realization that I was putting entirely too much time into an activity that I ultimately didn't care much about.

Or it might have had more to do with the fact that I moved to a location where I had very limited access to television. It could have simply been a matter of practicality. At the time, I lived at an outdoor-education boarding school where free time was scarce. Between classes, snowboarding, hiking, whitewater kayaking, study hall, homework, eating, sleeping, and the occasional game of late-night manhunt, I honestly didn't have much time to watch television. As years went by, TV became less and less important until I lost interest altogether. 

Sure, I catch the Colbert Report every now and again, but for the most part I prefer not to be around television or video games very much at all. 

That said, there's a relatively new phenomenon springing up around the country that uses video games to achieve better health and fitness. Yesterday, USA Today posted an article about Wii's new 'Sports Active' game, which features Oprah's personal trainer, Bob Greene. This interactive game that provides players with a virtual personal trainer will hit stores in March.

One of the old arguments against watching television and playing video games is that it leads to higher rates of obesity through inactivity. But Wii shows that not all screen-based entertainment fits this bill.

I've always thought that it's far better to get outside and get some exercise than sit in the house. I appreciate sports that require interaction, whether that interaction is with other people through team sports, or with the natural environment through outdoor sports. 

However, I understand that there are a lot of people who want to get more exercise, but don't know exactly what to do. Some people need more structure in their exercise routines, and some need to work from the comfort of their living rooms. Gyms can be really intimidating places for people who are just starting to get into physical fitness programs. Bicycle and running paths can also be really intimidating when they're filled with marathon competitors and triathletes. 

Although I hate the idea that we as a culture should have to purchase health and fitness (who needs expensive diet protein bars when you can eat black beans and bananas?), I'm all for doing whatever it takes to encourage healthy lifestyles. If television pilates shows and Wii personal training programs can help people feel good and stay healthy, then please—turn off America's Next Top Model and kick it in your living room to Mr. Greene's Wii fitness moves.

Everyone needs exercise. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, performing physical activities raises the awareness of one's body. By using parts of your body to perform physical tasks, you become more familiar with them, learning what they're capable of and how they work best. Today when I was surfing through some of the YouthNoise debates pages, I came across this post about electronic exercise like Wii Sports. Is exercise in front of the TV a decent substitute for exercise outside? Honestly, I'm surprised that there's any debate about it.

Nintendo's Wii is still fairly new, and so the general public still seems to find it very novel and exciting. Understandable, because there's never been anything like it before. And compared to sit-down-and-push-buttons video gaming, playing Wii is like running a mile. I always remind myself though, providing better exercise than most video games isn't a tough task to accomplish, and Wii-exercise still can't hold a candle to really going outside.

Parkour pioneer Châu Belle Dinh explained his physical activities as helping to create "A better knowledge of your body, [to] be able to move, to overcome obstacles in real world", which is something you don't get as much of exercising in a stationary position. Wii-exercise isn't the only heart rate-increasing activity that's lacking in that sense. Treadmills are a much older technology, and their drawbacks have been duly noted by serious runners for years.

From the Wikipedia page on treadmills, I found a list of their shortcomings. Most notably, "There is little need to propel yourself on a treadmill, making running easier and therefore not giving you an accurate representation of running on the ground." Exercising in a simulated setting will get you started on habits that aren't productive when in a more organic setting. The price factor is also a consideration-- why run on an expensive treadmill in a health club or a house when you can go outside for free, be a part of your community, appreciate the sights and maybe even see your neighbors? Why play Wii baseball when you can buy a bat, ball, and glove for less than half the price of a Wii? Lots of people talk about the calorie-burning capabilities of Dance Dance Revolution, but I don't want to dance in front of a TV when I could go outside and do it instead!