Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at
4:59 pm
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Several decades ago, while IBM was hard at work changing the face of modern-day business, Apple had a different target market in mind: kids. This early electronic movement was propelled in the 1990s when the Clinton administration accelerated the internet\’s involvement in our workplaces, our homes and our daily schedules. While the benefits of new technology are equally apparent and abundant, none of these organizations could have predicted what was perhaps the most fundamental societal change: a paradigm shift in the way that we raise our children.
A recent study from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids between the ages 8 and 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours a day with electronic media. This new childhood experience is beginning to reveal some unexpected outcomes. Amidst multiple forms of electronic stimulation, face-to-face interaction is undoubtedly lost. Additionally, fewer and fewer kids are found on the playground, in the woods, or simply playing in and around their neighborhoods.
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\’).
Parents and teachers can commiserate with each other over their seemingly unreachable students and children. While disengaged teenagers have been a source of frustration for adults since the days when humans were rubbing sticks together to produce energy, the increase in escapism has undoubtedly been accelerated. New media allows kids to chat with their friends at all hours of the day, resulting in a decrease in their perceived need for interaction with adults.
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.\”
Sound daunting? Or worse, inconvenient? Believe it or not, getting into nature does not require a dangerous exploration into the depths of the Sahara. A trip to the grove stand of trees at the end of the block will do. Maybe having an \”unplugged\” night in the household, where no electronics are allowed (for anyone) can provide a manageable solution. For those who want to invest in a more concrete experience, a summer of outdoor summer camps (such as adventure camps) work wonderfully to help balance the overly stimulated electronic mind.
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 unique Adventure Camp experience for youth of all walks of life. Based on the banks of the American River in Northern California, the world-class whitewater rafting experience is just one of the many aspects of this one-of-a-kind summer experience. This Adventure Camp is committed to providing learning experiences that students can carry with them through life.
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