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When IBM began to change the face of how we do business several decades ago, Apple was busy at work creating devices that were targeted to our children. The face of technology was further propelled in the 1990s, when the Clinton Administration made an effort to accelerate the internet’s involvement in our workplaces, homes and daily schedules. No one can deny the benefits of new technology, but there is one societal change that could not have been predicted at the time: a massive paradigm shift in child development.

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 experts point to the increase in frequency and severity of schoolyard bullying, ADD and ADHD diagnoses, social awkwardness and social isolation/indifference as signs of excessive electronic stimulation. According to Goodtherapy.org, “… 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.

We clearly need to unplug the electronics. So how do we fill that hole?

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 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 learning opportunitys that students can carry with them through life.