Last Child in the Woods

We know the value of nature so why do children spend less time outside?

“By discovering nature, you discover yourself.”

― Maxime Lagacé

Kids These Days

There is no question that children these days are struggling.

We see issues with technology addiction as well as rude behavior.

Look around in any restaurant or public place and we will see young people glued to their phones, chatting with friends, watching YouTube, or streaming Netflix. It is no longer an unusual sight to see a young couple on a date in a nice restaurant with both of them looking down at the phone in their hands, oblivious to the world and their partner.

It’s an undeniable problem. And parents are frustrated.

I read this quote the other day:

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

Yes, children are trouble.

But keep in mind this quote is from Socrates. 400 BC.

Kids were a challenge then and they are a challenge now.

So what is creating the issues today?

Evil Tech

For anyone who went through childhood before 1990, there weren’t technological distractions. The internet had not taken hold and mobile phones were still a very high-cost luxury item.

But things changed quickly, particularly when the iPhone launched in 2007.

There is a constant battle between screen time and our desire to have our kids spend more time outside. The science and the research are quite clear on the value of spending time outside getting fresh air, walking, exploring, and using our minds and bodies for what they were designed.

It seems the culprit is very, very clear: technology. So this is where we like to focus our blame.

But is it correct?

Is this the primary reason for today’s childhood issues and staying inside too much?

Nature Deficit

There is a phenomenon called Nature Deficit Disorder, an idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems. When parents and teachers are interviewed they will always point to technology as the primary problem.

One of the most famous books on nature deficit disorder is Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods. Louv discusses how children today are spending less time outdoors than before and outlines a number of reasons why.

Then we discover an interesting little fact about the book.

Louv wrote his book in 2005, two years before the iPhone.

This is not to defend the role that technology has played in keeping our children indoors. It has. But the nature deficit phenomenon started long before that with the growth of suburbs and urban sprawl.

Just consider our public parks for a moment. Our parks have been turned into safety zones of flatness riddled with rules. We design our parks now to be a casual stroll but we take away the fundamental fun of what children want to do.

We don’t believe our children have the ability to climb trees or rocks.

Yet we climbed trees and rocks and built forts when we were younger.

We have turned into an incredibly overprotective society.

And there is another issue.

Modeling

Children don’t spend enough time in nature because adults don’t.

If we want our children to value nature and experience it, then we must reflect this. They are just copying our behavior.

How often do we yell at our kids to go play outside as we hold our mobile phones in our hands?

If we went outside or played with them in a pool or just asked if they wanted to throw a ball, they would indulge. They wouldn’t just participate, they would love it.

There are always options for getting outside with our kids. If we want our children to appreciate nature we can play a more active role. We need to quit pointing fingers at technology, busy days, and other distractions as reasons.

Every time we point our finger at someone or something there are three fingers pointing right back at us.

With all the problems and challenges in the world, it is remarkable to think that we have a simple solution that addresses so many problems.

Open the door, call your kids and walk outside.

Wander the woods.

Enjoy. Smile.

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