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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Robin Thurston thinks the most dangerous product in modern life may be the screen staring right back at you.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis really is the new tobacco,\u201d says the CEO of Outside Inc., who believes Silicon Valley has spent years engineering products designed to keep people indoors. \u201cWhen you aggregate big tech into this, their primary goal is to capture our attention,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Public sentiment is starting to catch up. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a closely watched social media addiction case involving a young woman who said addictive features like infinite scroll and autoplay contributed to anxiety and depression. The companies were ordered to pay roughly $6 million in damages, one of thousands of similar lawsuits now moving through courts in California.<\/p>\n
Even on social media\u2014the root of the problem\u2014you can feel the backlash. Digital\u2011detox content and TikTok challenges reward logging off instead of doom\u2011scrolling, and influencers are racking up views by quitting the apps that made them famous.<\/p>\n
Related: How to Find the Right Balance Between Screen Time and \u2018Me\u2019 Time (and Why It\u2019s So Important)<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cThe antidote to all of it is nature,\u201d Thurston says. His connection to the outdoors is personal. A longtime endurance athlete and cyclist, he describes being outside as a reset from the noise and overstimulation of modern life. \u201cFor me, it is church,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is my moment where I can meditate.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s why his company operates outdoor publications like Outside<\/em> and BACKPACKER<\/em>, hiking and trail apps, mapping tools and experiences designed to get people in the great wide open. Outside\u2019s mission is to inspire everyone to get outdoors while reducing the friction that occurs when people don\u2019t know where to start. Together, those pieces are designed to move people from inspiration to participation \u2013 the stories spark the idea, the apps and maps make it doable, and the trips and events turn it into a habit<\/p>\n Outside Days<\/a> is one answer to that friction. A four-day outdoor culture festival and industry gathering in Denver, the event includes live music from bands like Death Cab for Cutie, outdoor sports, fitness classes, films, wellness experiences and talks centered around adventure, community and time spent outdoors. This year\u2019s event kicks off on May 27th in partnership with the State of Colorado\u2019s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and presented by Capital One and REI Co-Op.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe in what we\u2019re building and that it will have a big impact on millions of people in terms of their outdoor activities,\u201d says Thurston.<\/p>\n Related: After Addiction and Ironman Failure, This Founder Adopted a Rule That Changed Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n But Thurston is no luddite. He doesn\u2019t believe the answer is abandoning technology altogether. He just thinks companies trying to get people outdoors need to become smarter about how they compete for attention.<\/p>\n Some companies like Niantic, the creator of Pok\u00e9mon Go, got millions off the couch and wandering around parks and neighborhoods hunting virtual creatures on their phones.<\/p>\n \u201cPok\u00e9mon Go used all the same tactics Facebook and Instagram use, but they used them to get people outdoors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The point, Thurston says, isn\u2019t that technology itself is the problem. It\u2019s that the same behavioral mechanics built to keep people glued to screens can just as easily be used to push them outside. The companies trying to get people into nature, in his view, have to build with the same sophistication as the platforms competing for the same attention.<\/p>\n That same idea now influences much of Outside\u2019s strategy. With Thurston at the helm, he has leveraged his tenured technology background \u2013 having led all things digital at Under Armour \u2013 to expand into events, travel and partnerships designed to provide people with community and memorable experiences.<\/p>\n That bet also tracks with a broader shift Thurston is watching reshape consumer behavior: \u201cI think there is a push to move from more product buying into more experience buying,\u201d he says, pointing to consumers who would rather spend money on a week of fishing in Patagonia than another piece of gear. For Outside, that shift sits at the center of where the business is heading.Outside\u2019s partnership with Marriott Bonvoy International<\/a> underscores this shift, activating and rewarding members for their travel activities while immersing guests in nature, adventure and storytelling.<\/p>\n Related: How to Build Strategic Partnerships That Actually Drive Growth<\/strong><\/p>\n Thurston concedes that simply telling people to spend less time on screens is no match for the sophisticated systems designed to keep them hooked.<\/p>\n He has three children, ages 9, 12 and 14, and says keeping them off their devices can feel nearly impossible even without social media accounts.<\/p>\n Part of the problem, he argues, is scale. Outdoor companies are competing against some of the largest and most sophisticated technology businesses in the world, many of which are built around maximizing engagement and screen time.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a paper clip in a gunfight,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n That imbalance is one reason Thurston believes partnerships will matter more than individual brands. Outside has already partnered with likeminded companies including Jeep and REI, and Thurston says the larger opportunity may involve airlines, hotels, parks and outdoor brands working together.<\/p>\n He envisions campaigns that encourage states, schools and communities to compete over outdoor activity, along with apps and rewards systems that make spending time outside feel more social and engaging. The momentum is there\u2014 he just needs to capture it.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe that anyone on their deathbed will wish they had more screen time,\u201d Thurston says.<\/p>\n Related: Four Things Entrepreneurs Don\u2019t Need, According to This Outdoor Adventurer and Creative Founder<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Robin Thurston thinks the most dangerous product in modern life may be the screen staring right back at you.<\/p>\n \u201cThis really is the new tobacco,\u201d says the CEO of Outside Inc., who believes Silicon Valley has spent years engineering products designed to keep people indoors. \u201cWhen you aggregate big tech into this, their primary goal is to capture our attention,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Public sentiment is starting to catch up. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in a closely watched social media addiction case involving a young woman who said addictive features like infinite scroll and autoplay contributed to anxiety and depression. The companies were ordered to pay roughly $6 million in damages, one of thousands of similar lawsuits now moving through courts in California.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nFrom screen to green<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Getting people to \u2018touch grass\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Power in numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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