Nature Deficiency Disorder: Why should children play outdoors every day? 

"Nature deficiency disorder" is a phrase first coined in 2005 by author Richard Love, co-founder and emeritus president of the Nature and Children Network, in his book Last Child in the Woods, meaning that humans, especially children, spend time Less outdoors which leads to a wide range of behavioral problems.

Research has shown that children improve both physically and emotionally when they are in green spaces, benefiting from the positive emotions, stress reduction, and re-attention they generate.

“I have coined the phrase in metaphorical form, as a description of the effect of being away from the natural world. It is not intended to be a medical diagnosis or a medical guide to mental disorders, although it probably should be.” It's a way of talking about a pressing problem that many of us knew was growing, and we didn't have language to describe it."

Lack of exposure to bright light outside contributes to myopia in children (Pixabe)

Reasons for separation from nature

Love says that social and technological changes in the past three decades have accelerated man's detachment from the natural world.

Among these reasons, the spread of electronic communications.

Poor urban planning, the disappearance of open spaces, the increase in street traffic, the diminishing importance of the natural world in public and private education, and the fear of parents for their children that is amplified by the news and media.

Richard Love has spent 10 years traveling around the United States talking to parents and children, in both rural and urban areas, about their experiences in nature.

He noted that the most important cause of nature deficiency disorder is what parents do "to frighten children from the woods and fields".

Love says that parents protect children to the point that this protection becomes a problem and disrupts a child's ability to connect with nature.

Parents are increasingly afraid of any strange danger children may encounter in nature, so children are staying indoors and at the computer rather than exploring outdoors.

Love believes this may be the main cause of Nature Deficiency Disorder, in which parents have a great deal of control and influence in their children's lives.

Exposure of the child to nature helps him in the ability to exercise self-control and control emotions and behavior (Pixabe)

What do studies say about negative effects?

Since 2005, Love says, the number of studies on the impact of nature's experience on humans has grown, and a growing body of scientific evidence indicates that nature deficiency disorder contributes to reduced use of the senses, attention difficulties, increased obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illness.

Research also indicates that a lack of nature impairs environmental knowledge and stewardship of the natural world.

These problems are related more broadly to what health care experts call the "inactivity epidemic", and to the devaluation of independent play.

Nature deficiency disorder can also put the first generation at risk of having a shorter lifespan than their parents.

Lack of exposure to bright light outside also contributes to myopia in children, due to a lack of chemical signals caused to prevent elongation of the eye during development.

In addition, children who do not get normal time appear to be more prone to problems with anxiety, depression, and impotence.

Love suggests that going outside and being in a quiet place can go a long way in eliminating most of the child's problems.

Spending time in nature can help many children learn to build self-confidence (Pixabe)

Nature's benefits for children's health

Experiences in the natural world seem to offer great benefits for the mental and physical health and learning ability of children and adults.

Research strongly suggests that spending time in nature can help many children learn to build self-confidence, calm themselves, and focus.

Studies also show that direct exposure to nature can relieve symptoms of ADHD, while indoor activities such as watching TV or outdoor activities in unpaved and unpaved areas make these children work worse.

Children and adults working and learning today in a dominant digital environment expend enormous energy that obscures many of the human senses in order to focus narrowly on the screen in front of the eyes, and it can be likened to not being alive.

Love says that studies from other researchers around the world indicate that physical activity and exposure to nature are important for good health, as positive effects indicate mental health and well-being associated with natural environments, and can reduce sadness and negative emotions.

Direct exposure to nature can relieve symptoms of attention deficit disorder (Pixabay)

How do you play in nature?

In Greater Good, Richard Love explains how parents and teachers can help children reconnect with nature before it's too late.

Directing the experience:

The quality of experiencing nature depends on how direct the experience is, says Love. Do children get their hands wet and their feet muddy, and these types of activities can help children learn to have confidence in themselves and the ability to make independent decisions.

One reason for this is the inherent riskiness of outdoor play, which plays an important role in a child's development.

Without independent play, a critical cognitive skill called executive function is at risk.

Executive function is a complex process, but at its core is the ability to exercise self-control, to control and direct emotions and behaviour.

Children develop executive function largely through imaginative play. When you create your own world, you are the executive.

It turns out that a child's executive function is a better predictor of school success than IQ.

Self-desire and role models:

The desire to experience nature must stem from the children themselves. While parents sometimes put too much pressure on their children, it is important that children do not view nature time as a punishment because they hope to spend a lot of time in the electronic world.

Perhaps the best way to do this is by example, as when parents rediscover their connection to nature, most children are influenced by it and imitate it as well.

How can parents help children take an interest in nature when they live in urban environments away from nature?

Any green space will provide some benefits for mental and physical health, says Love. In an urban setting, find some landscaping in a garden, a tree in a quiet corner, several pots of vegetables growing outside, or even a beautiful house window overlooking the sky and clouds.

Connecting with nature should be a daily occurrence, and if we design our cities, including our homes, apartments, workplaces and schools, to work in harmony with nature and biodiversity, this can become a familiar pattern.