http://www.care2.com/greenliving/get-out-and-play.html
No Child Left Inside
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Editor, Care2 Green Living
I have a pet peeve which involves pharmaceutical companies giving every minor aliment a name, and then marketing a drug to combat said new ailment. Disorder-this, syndrome-that; it seems all designed to play into people’s fears and desire for an easy fix. But there’s a new disorder that’s been tossed about lately, and this one I am buying into: Nature Deficit Disorder.
In the recently published book by Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, the author explores the tremendous divide between children and the outdoors. Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s “wired” generation to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
According to Louv, Americans are spending less time outside than ever before, and it’s contributing to a decreased understanding of and appreciation for the natural world. This increasing “nature deficit” is not only threatening America’s long-standing conservation ethic, but has resulted in alarming child health issues.
Studies show that when children have time for unstructured play and interaction with nature, they benefit immensely. It helps increase understanding of their connection to nature, in addition to improved physical, mental and emotional health. So here a disorder is created, and the solution isn’t pharmaceuticals, but simply to go outside and play. How elegant is that?
For some kids it’s easier than for others–they can throw open the back door and go look at tadpoles in the backyard pond. Many kids don’t have the most inspiring backyards, and many a city kid has to make a trek to the park to get some dirt and trees into their day. But no matter what the effort is, getting kids outside couldn’t be more important.
One stunning conclusion about this simple argument is that not only is it crucial for our kids’ health, but also for the health of our planet. An agreeable environment will depend on future generations of nature lovers, and the best way to ensure future conservationists is to get our kids outside and loving nature.
What can we do? Well, unplug our kids and get them making mud pies first of all. Check out our collection of family nature activities for any time of the year.
Also, you can urge Acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven Galson to promote the benefits of daily outdoor play in nature for all children and families by signing the Care2 Help Make Outdoor Time a National Priority petition. By increasing awareness about this possible epidemic of nature-evasive future generations, we not only help our future generations, but the longevity of a healthy planet as well.
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12 comments
add your comment »Flag this guy, been posting all over Care2 the same stuff under different names.
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why is this inappropriate?
As a child the outdoors was for me and so it was for my children. Also im in my 50s and still go outdoors more than often. So it works for me i keep myself healthy.
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Great article. Unfortunately it is not the 300 billion dollar pharmaceutical companies who label the disorders but the Psychiatric Industry. They base their "disorders" on an algorithm so basically are made up.
As an ex teacher I would love to see this implemented and taken seriously. Kids are not meant to be sitting at desks all day long in an enclosed space and need that fresh air.
It would be good to get it in full force before they come out with the new DSM that is reported to have everything in there as a disorder, including the kitchen sink! It is only money that motivates them.
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I totally agree with Mellissa.
I also think the whole education system should have mandatory outdoor nature and environmental studies and interactions for students from kindergarten to senior high.
The only thing I would drop is the 'disorder' thing. Call it something else, something more dynamic. That's a term that psychiatry has pushed and sold zillions of parents and kids on, and they would have you thinking EVERYTHING is a 'disorder'.
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thanks, what a great article and so true.
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Wonderful article! Thanks for sharing.
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I can't imagine life without nature. Or I can, but it would be such a sad, desperate state of affairs.
It would be great if cities paid more attention to their green spaces. Kids and adults *need* them.
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Great article!
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This is a great article! Very much needed! I grew up with only nature as my playground and toys, so I understand this first hand. I then raised 5 kids in the city suburbs, and realized pretty early on that my kids were being deprived of the benefits of nature, with not too small a yard, but still not enough nature in it. I home schooled my kids and made sure they got tons of park time to explore nature. We couldn't have pets, so we looked for situations that would get the kids connected with nature. We started out with petting zoos, pony rides, small zoos, but ultimately what satisfied the kids the most was regular visits to parks with wildlife habitats where they could discover and watch different kinds of birds and animals. We gave the kids a lot of discovery time in nature. This article is so right on! Nature really fills a need in all of us as human beings who are part of the natural world, though we often don't realize how much we need nature.
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thank you for that stimulating article, it is so true. I'll have to get the book and read it also. We also need to include adults also, ME especially. I have turned out to be such a slug, where have the years gone (LOL)...thanks for the stimulation...
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