Online Personal Training Blog

Can Kids be too Plugged In?

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.

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.”

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.

Regardless of the solution, we clearly need to get our kids back into nature. And best of all, we adults get to benefit too!

Nature’s Classroom creates a spectacular Adventure Camp 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 Adventure Camp is committed to providing enriching learning opportunitys that students can carry with them through life.