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American kids are staying indoors. Why? Ask the government. In a
nationwide poll conducted by the Nature Conservancy, only 10% of kids
said they spend time outdoors on a daily basis.
Now, I am not about to launch into a whole “back in my day” monologue.
That was then, this is now, and I am well aware of that, thank you very
much. Still, I can’t just say “oh, well, kids these days” and move on. No no, I
need to rant and vent.
It isn’t that I don’t get it. I mean, I am writing this very post on a computer. I
have the world at my fingertips, and infinite incomprehensible amounts of
knowledge at the click of a button. It is amazing, to be sure, but is it worth
the price that American kids are paying daily?
Some will say – much like I do – that it is first and foremost on schools and
educators to show the way. Less homework, less class work, more time
outside. Plain and simple. If you cram a kid full of school assignments and
homework, of course he will want to spend the little time he has left by
playing with his Xbox or browsing Facebook! Is there even a doubt in
anyone’s mind?
Spending time outdoors helps relieve stress, and releases positive
hormones and chemicals in the body. Being in nature is our, well, nature. A
lot more than right angles, air conditioned rooms, and concrete walls ever
were – you can bank on that.
The post-modern 21 st century American child is in a sorry state, indeed, and
it is up to us – grownups, parents, schools, educators – to get them back to
nature. And I am not even talking about rolling hills and meadows.
Obviously, not everyone has the opportunity to experience nature in the
same way. Some kids don’t even have a natural area near their homes, so
it becomes a hassle to get them somewhere where they can sit down, light
a bonfire, and watch the stars come out.
Kids are not hiking, fishing, or hunting. They are not visiting local parks,
beaches, and rivers. They are simply not outdoors. This can – nay, will! –
cause a big problem in the future. We all need to be more exposed to the
natural side of things. And it doesn’t have to be something so out-of- this-
world. Kids with dogs will be able to tell you how much fun it can be to
leave your screens at home, and take the dog for a walk for 20 minutes.
Those instances are priceless, and that is just a walk! But it doesn’t matter.
Interacting with another living creature, in an area outside of the house, can
already do a lot to boost that child’s happiness and well being.
The aforementioned poll does suggest a brighter side, though. According to
the poll, if America’s kids would only be given the opportunity to go
outdoors more – that is to say, if we encourage them to do so and set an
example – they will follow it. Hopefully they will preform better in school.