nature deficit disorder
i bought the latest copy of 'backpacker' magazine yesterday when
i was gathering items needed for my upcoming 12-day girl guide camp stint.
inside was an interesting article about how kids in today's
myspace-livejournal-onlinegaming-im life are spending more time
in an artificial world and less time in the natural world.
many researchers believe there is a direct link between this and
the rise in behaviour prolems, adhd diagnoses, and increased illnesses
in children.

from backpacker's article "the first steps: how to get kids outdoors again":

- between 1997 and 2002 the number of kids diagnosed with adhd increased
by 33% and spending on adhd drugs for kids under 5 increased 300%

- childhood obesity has tripled since 1980

- overnight stays in national parks have declined 20% since 1995

- scouting enrolment has decreased 20% since 1995

- a nature conservancy survey has found a strong link between the decrease
in park visits and increase in time spend on tv, video games and internet



"in a matter of a few decades, we are seeing the disappearance of unstructured,
outdoor play," according to the author of 'last child in the woods'.

"kids have lost the ability to entertain themselves outside," says the author
of 'ecophobia: reclaiming the heart in nature education'.



then there's the following evidence cited:

- in 2004, u of illinois researchers found that children as young as 5
showed significant reduction in adhd symptoms when they engaged with nature.

- according to a 2003 cornell study, exposure to nature causes profound
differences in attention capacities, and that green spaces may enable children
to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress.

- a yale study showed that wilderness adventure programs gave teenages
significant benefits in self-esteem, confidence, independence, autonomy
and initiative

- swedish researchers discovered that incidences of illness in nursery
school students dropped by 66% when they played outdoors in all weather.
they also showed improved concentration, longer attention spans, and
better motor functions.

for further interesting reading:

www.nochildleftinside.org
www.kroka.org

x-posted to margaritka