Nature Deficit Disorder *What is your view?*

[jakethevape]

Hi Guys,

Interesting article from the BBC again: www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24532638

It is looking at the impacts of our children being indoors and consequently adverse effects that this is causing.

I am not old enough to be from the "good old days of always being out", but I am not young enough to be part of the staying in generation. We had the best of both worlds.

I remember vividly being bored by the constant staying in playing the Play-station 1 or the Dreamcast or Super Nintendo if you want to get really nostalgic. Yes I enjoyed them in the evening or a little bit here and there but nothing was better than running around the woods playing army men, or building HUGE dens or climbing trees etc.

Does anyone else feel we are raising a generation of technology dependent people?, I encourage my children to go out, well rather they do not have a choice as I thoroughly enjoy the open fields and forests so they come and join us as a family (They are 5 and 3 years old). But even our LITTLE children would prefer to stay in and watch a movie or watch the TV than go outside!, Sod that, TV off and chuck em in the car for a trip into the country.

I am a city-boy at heart, Birmingham born'n'bred so I know what the lack of greenery does to you. Lucky enough my family are big outdoorsy people so I always had "outings" so to speak. Since I moved down to Winchester I cant get enough greenery and NOTHING would make me move back to the CITY, absolutely NOTHING.

I have a spot just outside Winchester in the green areas, nice BIG valley and you can park your car at the top, you look down and for miles it is untouched woodland and fields. It is my little piece of sanctuary on this earth as it looks pure and gives me the space to think.

I have always said I would love to live on an island in a small community with NO mod cons, I am NOT interested in any of it. Ironically I am a technology professional but I have OD, overdosed call it what you like. I WANT OUT.

What is wrong with parents these days?, So paranoid over the scaremongering from the media that they are destroying our children s futures to connect with nature.

On the flip side there is just too many people, we have grown out of control like a parasite so emagine if ALL families tried to go to the big outdoors at the same time? CHAOS.

No win situation, but all I know is the outdoors is vital for learning, development, survival and ultimetley a true happy soul.

Computer games and PCs do NOT give that to you.

Call me a moaning sod (I know I am hehe) but It would be interesting to hear your guys views on this?.

We are not designed for the lifestyle we have created around us. This is what is causing all the negative health effects. Human made negative effects.

Check out this article about Nature deficit disorder: www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/nature-deficit-disorder


So hit me up, what do you think?

[Blownupdolly]

I truly feel sorry for a lot of the kids growing up today. I am old enough to belong to the generation that grew up without even video recorders, mobile phones etc. there wasn't even TV programmes on in the afternoons. If you were off school sick you only had that little girl on the test card screen holding a Dolly I remember I was outside in my dungarees at every given opportunity. Climbing trees, grazing my knees. I even remember running off with my friend to "discover" what was in the old barn up the road and getting myself stuck on the window ledge too scared to jump off. Poor old dad had to come up and get me down!!

Kids just don't get to do these kind of things anymore. Doing daft things is what growing up is all about. Teaches you an inbuilt safety radar and life skills.

On the flip side, my daughter owned up to a stupid move last night. She gave my little 6yr old granddaughter her big sisters old iPod just so she can play little kids games on it. The little one said "can I have past word on mine?" Daughter laughed and said you mean a password not past word!. She told her it was four numbers on an iPod. Little one puts her numbers in and now no one can get on it as she refuses to tell anybody what it is! you gotta laugh!
I am constantly amazed at their dexterity and understanding of all things computer, even as young as three and four, but, they just don't seem to learn a lot of human basics so important for youngsters to find out by exploring their own environment.
Mr Dolly and I have decided to try and counteract this imbalance by getting her riding lessons at the local horse riding school, just so she has an outdoor activity she enjoys.

[Deleted]

It's not just kids that are addicted to technology .. walk down any high street and at least half of those under the age of 40 are glued to their smartphones. Travel on a bus or train and some bugger's phone is ringing every few minutes and then you have to listen to some inane conversation which you know is just talking for the sake of talking ... drives my bloody crazy! Then there is the constant click , click, click of the texters ... oh don't get me started Jake! What is wrong with quietly reading a book or newspaper or better still just enjoying the view or chatting with the real person beside you? And we wonder why the kids are the way they are .. answer is they learn by the examples set by their elders.

[annie50]

I remember the days when we didn't have a tv let alone anything else.
The world is a different place today and even I at 63 have a laptop and an ipad . I don't do smart phones though but like texting on my non descript mobile phone.

My grandchildren love the ps3 and ipad etc but it is a matter of balance. The boys also like fishing and climbing and the little girl goes to gymnastics.

[Blownupdolly]

Oct 16, 2013 16:17:22 GMT annie50 said:

I remember the days when we didn't have a tv let alone anything else.
The world is a different place today and even I at 63 have a laptop and an ipad . I don't do smart phones though but like texting on my non descript mobile phone.

My grandchildren love the ps3 and ipad etc but it is a matter of balance. The boys also like fishing and climbing and the little girl goes to gymnastics.

Exactly right Annie. I feel its part of my job as a nanna to redress the balance. I played conkers with them a couple of weeks ago. They had never heard of it, and I also got told off for showing them how to play it because it is banned these days apparently. How bloody stupid is that? Health and safety gone mad. Still, we enjoyed ourselves and they will remember playing conkers with nanny

[womble]

We had the world conker championships in our village last weekend, in all honesty it was the adults who were most excited

[annie50]

Oct 16, 2013 23:13:19 GMT Blownupdolly said:

Oct 16, 2013 16:17:22 GMT annie50 said:

I remember the days when we didn't have a tv let alone anything else.
The world is a different place today and even I at 63 have a laptop and an ipad . I don't do smart phones though but like texting on my non descript mobile phone.

My grandchildren love the ps3 and ipad etc but it is a matter of balance. The boys also like fishing and climbing and the little girl goes to gymnastics.

Exactly right Annie. I feel its part of my job as a nanna to redress the balance. I played conkers with them a couple of weeks ago. They had never heard of it, and I also got told off for showing them how to play it because it is banned these days apparently. How bloody stupid is that? Health and safety gone mad. Still, we enjoyed ourselves and they will remember playing conkers with nanny

I agree Dolly, it is all about how much parents, grandparents etc are prepared to put in.
Some children aren't as lucky and it is a shame then that the tech world is all they have.

Conkers! oh yes! I don't like playing with my 10 year old grandson though, he wraps my knuckles lol. I will stick to playing with the younger ones and leave granddad to play * the real game*

Our garden is half concreted as my hubby as always had working labs. My granddaughter who is 4 loves drawing with chalk on there. I drew her a hopscotch this summer and she loved it. A few minutes with a brush and bowl of soapy water and it was all clean again. Well worth it. We always say, when the grandchildren are enjoying playing, that we are making memories.

[Bluefish]

Conkers brill, don't cheat though and put them in the oven or pickle them lol we never had a tv in our house untill my 1 year older than me, bro bought one when he turned 16 and was working, so we then had one in the house but only he could watch it.
yes we are all getting addicted to the tech untill the day the lights go out...

[Blownupdolly]

Oct 18, 2013 22:22:35 GMT Bluefish said:

Conkers brill, don't cheat though and put them in the oven or pickle them lol we never had a tv in our house untill my 1 year older than me, bro bought one when he turned 16 and was working, so we then had one in the house but only he could watch it.
yes we are all getting addicted to the tech untill the day the lights go out...

I was thinking about what could happen when the lights go out as they were predicting power cuts over the winter on the radio the other day. What the hell will we all do? No Internet, TV, washing machines, microwave and the list goes on and on...geeeeez, I might even have to start a conversation with MR Dolly!! Perish the thought!!

[lazydog]

Its not just the tech stuff and lack of nature even the food the eat is not real food just regurgitated slops from the big burger shops.Have you seen what most parents have in there shopping trollies no real food in site and kids dont understand what food is made from or where it comes from.A very sad state of things god help us if there was a war or a general strike or power cuts.

[Blownupdolly]

Oct 18, 2013 23:47:15 GMT lazydog said:

Its not just the tech stuff and lack of nature even the food the eat is not real food just regurgitated slops from the big burger shops.Have you seen what most parents have in there shopping trollies no real food in site and kids dont understand what food is made from or where it comes from.A very sad state of things god help us if there was a war or a general strike or power cuts.

On this subject (which I totally agree with you) I must give praise to my little granddaughters school. Ever since she started at infants school last year, they have done several projects on healthy food and healthy eating with exercise. When I take her shopping she will gleefully point out all the healthy foods she has learnt about. Then she will dob her father in and tell me he is really bad sometimes because he takes her to McDonalds

[andy01424]

well good news my youngest[16 now] when she was younger ie secondary school,her and her friends would all go out down the woods have fun,end of the day they all walked each other home like we used to do ,thing is even thinking about this now,we miss them doing it as it only seems a brief time before bang there teenagers and do teenage things instead......

even when she was young she played out side with the other kids if possible

But will agree with the scaremongering has not helped at all...wonder if this was all part of a master plan to keep kids off the streets etc!