Real Life But Better: How Augmented Reality Can Save Gen Z

[steve2470]

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/augmented-reality-save-gen-z/

Our kids are fat. They’re super-connected, self-aware, highly-strategic, fat kids. One-third of American kids are overweight, according to the CDC. Another study predicts that a staggering 47% are predicted to be obese by adulthood. And while our instinct tells us to take away their phones and unplug their Xboxes, technology might actually be the cure.

Augmented reality, in particular, has potential to mobilize (and exercise) those dubbed “the most sedentary generation in American history.”

Meet Gen Z – kids born after the turn of the century. They’ve been described as “digital natives.” They’ve only known of a world with touch-screens and apps. And as a result, they’ve developed an instinctual relationship with technology. Think: babies who swipe at magazines. 72% of kids under 8 have used a mobile device to consume media. For better or worse, they’ve been exposed to a lot and they’re growing up quickly. Today, kids learn to collaborate through Google Docs at an age when I was learning cursive. Z lives in a world of continuous updates where relevance is constantly being redefined.

Yet for all this advancement, some of this generation’s biggest issues seem so basic (nutrition & fitness), and the solutions so simple (diet & exercise). The obesity epidemic, has led some to predict that Gen Zers will have shorter lifespans than their parents…this at a time when we’re cloning mammoths and landing on comets. Why can’t we keep our kids healthy? And WHY are we trying the same methods that have been failing previous generations – Calorie-counting? Health class? Baseball?

much more at link

ETA: I wish the author had said obese or overweight instead of "fat".

[xfundy]

1. I read a study last year

It seems that kids today can't even identify the fruits and vegetables they eat in their natural form.

[NuclearDem]

2. AR certainly has its place as part of the solution

But technologically, I think nanomedicine would do much better at addressing health issues like this than AR could do on its own.

[William769]

3. obesity is a problem in our society.

&quot nutrition & fitness)" is the key. Another key would be the parents.

[steve2470]

4. +1 nt