Kids Too Wired
Twenty years ago, while IBM was changing the face of our business world, Apple was busy introducing computers to our kids. In the 1990s, the Clinton...
Twenty years ago, while IBM was changing the face of our business world, Apple was busy introducing computers to our kids. In the 1990s, the Clinton Administration further accelerated the internet’s involvement in every aspect of our lives. There is no denying that technology has benefited our society in massive ways, but there is one ramification that has not been resolved: the effect of new media on children.
The Kaiser Family Foundation recently discovered that children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours a day with electronic media. This shift toward technology has had some unexpected side effects. Face-to-face interaction amongst kids has definitely taken a hit. Even more importantly, kids now spend fewer and fewer hours playing outside, be it on the playground, in the woods, or even in their front yards.
Some of the more severe side effects to technology include an increase in frequency and severity of schoolyard bullying, ADD and ADHD diagnoses, and social awkwardness/isolation/indifference, according to some experts. Goodtherapy.org stated that “… a new study performed at MIT has shown that this habit may actually contribute to unhappiness as well as cognitive decline” (August 21, 2009, GoodTherapy.org, ‘Study Finds Too Much Multi-Tasking Can Harm Mental Well-Being’).
The increasingly difficult communication with children has been felt by parents and teachers alike. While teenagers have been historically challenging to reach (every middle and high school teacher knows this, and every parent will, if they do not already), the level of disengagement has multiplied. With new media at everyone’s fingertips, children are able to interact with their peers at any time, causing a break in communication with the adults in their lives.
The technology clearly needs to be unplugged. But what do we replace it with?
Sarah Karnasiewicz of Salon.com states that there is “a growing body of scientific research that suggests children who are given early and ongoing positive exposure to nature thrive in intellectual, spiritual and physical ways that their “shut-in” peers do not” (“Do today’s kids have Nature Deficit Disorder?” June 2, 2005). More recently, as noted by Dustin Hurst of IdahoReport.com, Idaho representatives “…approve Senate Concurrent Resolution 1113…The bill states that ‘a growing body of research indicates that children pay a high physical, mental and emotional price for inactivity resulting in increased childhood obesity, depression, inattentiveness, diminished creativity and … “Nature Deficit Disorder”‘” (March 23, 2010).
Richard Louv, of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, suggests that the solution to the problem is fairly obvious and simple. According to his interview with Scholastic.com, “We should not think of a child’s experience in nature as an extracurricular activity. It should be thought of as vital to children’s health and development…Out in nature, a child’s brain has the chance to rejuvenate, so the next time he has to focus and pay attention, perhaps in school, he’ll do better.”
Does that sound tough? Or maybe something that you don’t have enough time for? Contrary to the beliefs of some, getting into nature does not require a massive expedition to the Amazon. A trip into the woods in one’s backyard will suffice. Unplugging the electronics for one night a week in the house can provide some much-needed respite (for everyone!) And for those who are looking for something more engaging for their children, a summer spent at an outdoor summer camp, or adventure camp, will balance out any overstimulated child.
No matter what the solution, it is apparent that we need to take charge and reconnect our children with nature. And the best part? We, as adults, get to benefit as well!
Nature’s Classroom creates a spectacular opportunity for youth of all walks of life. Based on the banks of the American River in Northern California, the world-class whitewater rafting opportunity is just one of the many aspects of this one-of-a-kind summer opportunity. This is committed to providing enriching learning opportunitys that students can carry with them through life.
