I suspect that people who grew up watching Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, National Geographic, and all the nature shows on the Discovery Channel but never ventured out any further than their local park probably would have developed an un-natural sense of familiarity with the true "great outdoors".

"Un-Natural" in that it isn't based on reality and experience. It's based on vicarious exposure; watching someone else do something while one sits in the airconditioning isn't the same thing as doing it oneself.

Because they feel familiar with the outdoors without having experienced any of the negative consequences they havn't developed the respect and caution that those negative experiences teach, and they end up over estimating their ability and underestimate the forest.

I carry the stuff I do because I've been cold and wet and hungry and lost and didn't like it much.

Having the general public scared of the outdoors isn't a bad thing. It might make some pause to think.