Posted on June 25, 2009 in latest news
Nature deficit disorder is the withdrawal of nature from the lives of our children, which has resulted in increased stress, physical and behavioral problems. This term was coined by Richard Louv in his book, “Last Child in the Woods.” Louv blames overprotective parents, restricted access to nature, and the lure of electronic media for this disorder.
Many children do not have outdoor play today. They are content watching the television, playing video games, or spending time on the internet. Research shows that kids who go outside more are more likely to be active. Moreover, it was observed kids in rural areas were having lesser rates of obesity than urban kids. So, the rising rates of obesity can be attributed to the nature deficit disorder in children.
According to Richard Louv, kids do not have intimate relationship with the nature. They can only feel the nature with their intellectual knowledge. This has taken out the element of outdoor fun in their lives. Trouble paying attention, increased stress and depression are some of the consequences of this.
Causes of Nature Deficit Disorder:
- Overprotective parents who strive to keep their children safe. These fears are mostly fueled by media coverage regarding the dangers of children venturing outside
- Restricted access to the parks, natural areas
- Electronic media such as Video games, computers and televison –due to which kids spend a lot of their time inside rather than outside
Consequences of Nature Deficit Disorder:
- Childhood obesity
- Attention disorder. Spending time with nature can help us to be calm and quiet. However, lack of it can promote anxiety and attention disorders
- Lack of respect towards the natural surroundings
Along with children, adults are also experiencing the effects of being away from nature. People tend to be stressed out and have trouble paying attention.
To deal with this problem, parents should encourage outdoor play for kids. They should find ways to encourage children to spend time with nature every day. This will help the kids to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Comments
Leave a Reply
