“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
– John Muir
In Richard Louv’s 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, he coins the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” to describe what happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural world. It refers to the trend seen in the past decade that children are increasingly spending less time outdoors. He believes that the reasons for such a phenomenon include parental fears, restrict access to natural areas, and the lure of “the screen.” Louv connects this lack of nature to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
To confirm Louv’s discussion of the Nature Deficit Disorder, look at this 2003 study which observed the role of the booming electronic media market for children. The impacts are sobering. Children aged zero to six spend on average two hours a day using some kind of screen medium. Even children under age two are using screen media—68% on a typical day.
[Source: Rideout, V.J., E.A. Vandewater and E.A. Wartella. 2003. Zero to six: Electronic media in the lives of infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Publication #3378.]
Studies like the above one are being published more and more often, and the negative impacts of technology on the development of children is becoming downright scary.
Outdoor Education Reconnects Children
As naturalists who work with a range of children, we see how nature can have a major effect on a child and his/her behavior. Often times, when a classroom teacher comes up to us and gives us some advice about his/her difficult students, we tend to not believe it. The same students who seem to be the trouble makers or underachievers in the classroom THRIVE in an outdoor setting. It gives a confidence to “problem-ridden” children which then translates into better achievements in the classoom! Why not give these children a chance?
“I loved finding my very own sit spot and listening to the different bird calls in the garden. I have never done that before!! Before they were just noises outside… now at my home sit spot they let me know when a Red-Tail Hawk is soaring by!” – Student nicknamed “Big Foot”