A new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago shows a 25% decline in national park visits by Americans down from a record year of visits in 1987. Though the authors all but point the finger to video games, the medium's use has, in fact, increased by more than 327 hours in 2003 over 1987. Other possible explanations included a possible decrease in vacation days, growth of extreme sports, and rising gas prices, though nothing as substantiated as the rise in video game use.[Thanks, Charles]
