Do you think nature is boring and obtuse? Well, author of award winning book Last Child In The Woods, Richard Louv begs to differ. This generation is not going outside enough to enjoy the true beauty of nature. People need to stop stop complaining about how stressed out they are and just go outside. This generation is not completely to blame, everything today occurs indoors, parents would rather just give their a child an iPad, and there is deforestation going on everyday. All of these factors are affecting the world.
The world is changing, everything one had to do outside can now be done indoors. Instead of going outside for a bike ride or walk people are going to air conditioned gyms with fluorescent lights that use stationary bicycles and treadmills. A study done by United States Navy shows that going outside and walking instead of walking on a treadmill burns more calories because of wind resistance and natural incline. going outside will help lower the quickly rising obesity epidemic because it is a more efficient form of exercise.
If everyone were to just go outside and enjoy the wonders of nature we could all be living in a much healthier society. Its not just the form of exercising that has changed, now all someone has to do to have a bonfire is turn on Netflix and select their wood of choice and enjoy. All of the world’s people are becoming unindustrious and it is affecting more than just one generation.
Secondly, as stated in the novel, Last Child In The Woods, “Nature-deficit disorder” (p. 36, Louv) defined as “the human costs of alienation from nature” affects more than just the arents of today’s generation. Because of parents being too busy to spend time with their child or let them play outside they just give them an electronic device to pay on thinking that it is a safer alternative to going outside where they could get injured or kidnapped. Unfortunately doing so is stifling the children’s creativity. Not allowing kids to be free to experience nature does a lot of harm, if people, especially children went outdoors more there would be no “Nature-deficit disorder”“.
Not only does not going outside squelch/REPRESS creativity, but it also causes both physical and mental damage. It is proven in that going outdoors makes people happier and healthier. Such evidence is shown in the South University study where Dr. Susanne Preston a professor at South University says, “being outside and spending time in nature is good for a person’s mental health, as it allows them to de-stress”. The less stress one has the more happy and healthy they are. If today’s youth are taught to go and play outside the same will carry on for their children and generations to come.
The world could make monumental improvements if everyone, particularly children were outside more often. Finally, all of the deforestation going on today is stripping the rights of the world’s population by limiting their access to the great outdoors. Not only does this NOT FOLLOW basic human rights, but it is also destroying the habitats of thousands of animals. Many of the fields that kids used to play on have been transformed into parking lots and buildings. When traveling, one no longer sees forests, fields or prairies, the see malls, stores, banks, and other buildings.
If all of nature is cut down then humanity dies along with it, a certain balance, ratio, is needed, neither humans nor nature can live without the other. Because of the demolition of nature there are few places where children can play outside safely. How are kids supposed to go play outside when there is nothing outside? Thanks to deforestation the already technology-addicted youth have yet another excuse for not going outside. All in all, humanity is taking a turn for the worse.
With factors like having everything one used to do outside possible to be done indoors, the newest and greatest technology, and the shrinking number of places to go, why would someone want to go outside. The rights promised to humans are gone, there is no where to be free to just breathe, there are parking lots, companies, and skyscrapers instead. One must remember the benefits of going out in nature and use that as motivation to find those few, rare places. Once there, just breathe, relax, and enjoy. Nature is wonderful and is a gift that should be enjoyed forever. There are no rules to nature, so just go outside and be liberated.