Are Our Children Suffering From 'Nature Deficit Disorder' ?..
We have ADD, ADHD and now we have NDD. Yes we now have Nature Deficit Disorder. Not a scientific medical term but a term introduced to highlight a cause and possible therapy to many disorders diagnosed in children today. Having read a little about this assigned disorder and thought about how children live today i actually think there is some truth in it.
I for one, now in my mid 30's, spent my childhood tromping through the great outdoors getting muddy, playing in trees and enjoying outdoor sports. It made me appreciate my immediate environment, helped keep me healthy and taught me valuable lessons about nature hands on. Now all grown up i look around at kids today and realise, sadly, how much things have changed.
Today’s kids are more likely to know about global environmental perils, that they are told about, than physically experiencing the wonders of the outdoors within a short distance of their homes which creates a deeper and lasting understanding. They completely understand Tomb Raider, Need For Speed and other far more complicated video games but have no familiarity with lifeforms they might find crawling around on the ground in their gardens, or with the processes of nature.
Not only is being outdoors FUN and many of us so called 'Baby Boomers' can vouch for that, but there are also huge benfits to be gained that kids now are lacking and in some cases are suffering because of it. They are 'estranged' from the natural world and missing an important part of healthy human development which may be at least partially to blame for the seemingly epidemic cases of obesity, depression, and learning and behavior disorders in children today.
Our brains are naturally set up for a nature-oriented existence that has been innate in all of us for thousands of years. The brain is strong and flexible, so a majority of kids adapt fairly well to today’s overstimulating environment. But the rest don’t. Perhaps increasing childrens exposure to nature-based activities and education may provide at least a partial remedy for these conditions which blight modern, western societies. Many parents are happy for a quick fix in the shape of a pill without exploring alternatives, some try everything and still have to go with the chemicals but many don't even want to try. The answer to their problems may be a step outside the back door. A FREE therapy for ADD/ADHD!
Today our kids’ access to (and motivation toward) nature-based activities is in much shorter supply. The disappearance of open spaces, the rise of 'Cyber Entertainments', the increase of safety concerns, the introduction of longer school hours and busy, two-wage-earner family lifestyles are all obstacles. However, with a little effort even at weekends to get outside away from the games, the tv, the junk food every child can enjoy what nature intended. They will become more environmentally aware, more appreciative of looking after their environment and it may even be a Great Therapy for helping with little Johnnys problems.
This is one case when perhaps we should follow the Americans. A 'Back To Nature' Movement is blooming across the nation funded by private and public services. So to make 'Nature Deficit Disorder' a thing of the past, before it becomes a formal diagnosis, we should all go outside. Even if it means rain and mud, it's fun and it's healthy and if you want everyone to sleep soundly there's no better remedy.
HAVE FUN!
We have ADD, ADHD and now we have NDD. Yes we now have Nature Deficit Disorder. Not a scientific medical term but a term introduced to highlight a cause and possible therapy to many disorders diagnosed in children today. Having read a little about this assigned disorder and thought about how children live today i actually think there is some truth in it.
I for one, now in my mid 30's, spent my childhood tromping through the great outdoors getting muddy, playing in trees and enjoying outdoor sports. It made me appreciate my immediate environment, helped keep me healthy and taught me valuable lessons about nature hands on. Now all grown up i look around at kids today and realise, sadly, how much things have changed.
Today’s kids are more likely to know about global environmental perils, that they are told about, than physically experiencing the wonders of the outdoors within a short distance of their homes which creates a deeper and lasting understanding. They completely understand Tomb Raider, Need For Speed and other far more complicated video games but have no familiarity with lifeforms they might find crawling around on the ground in their gardens, or with the processes of nature.
Not only is being outdoors FUN and many of us so called 'Baby Boomers' can vouch for that, but there are also huge benfits to be gained that kids now are lacking and in some cases are suffering because of it. They are 'estranged' from the natural world and missing an important part of healthy human development which may be at least partially to blame for the seemingly epidemic cases of obesity, depression, and learning and behavior disorders in children today.
Our brains are naturally set up for a nature-oriented existence that has been innate in all of us for thousands of years. The brain is strong and flexible, so a majority of kids adapt fairly well to today’s overstimulating environment. But the rest don’t. Perhaps increasing childrens exposure to nature-based activities and education may provide at least a partial remedy for these conditions which blight modern, western societies. Many parents are happy for a quick fix in the shape of a pill without exploring alternatives, some try everything and still have to go with the chemicals but many don't even want to try. The answer to their problems may be a step outside the back door. A FREE therapy for ADD/ADHD!
Today our kids’ access to (and motivation toward) nature-based activities is in much shorter supply. The disappearance of open spaces, the rise of 'Cyber Entertainments', the increase of safety concerns, the introduction of longer school hours and busy, two-wage-earner family lifestyles are all obstacles. However, with a little effort even at weekends to get outside away from the games, the tv, the junk food every child can enjoy what nature intended. They will become more environmentally aware, more appreciative of looking after their environment and it may even be a Great Therapy for helping with little Johnnys problems.
This is one case when perhaps we should follow the Americans. A 'Back To Nature' Movement is blooming across the nation funded by private and public services. So to make 'Nature Deficit Disorder' a thing of the past, before it becomes a formal diagnosis, we should all go outside. Even if it means rain and mud, it's fun and it's healthy and if you want everyone to sleep soundly there's no better remedy.
HAVE FUN!
| |  |
posted by Things That Make You Go Ooo! Team @ 9:47 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home