By Judith S. Duque, LMFT
Q. As a parent of school-age children, I am concerned when I read in the press about all the (seemingly) never-ending list of children’s “disorders.” I understand some of the school-age disorders, such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but what is Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD)? For all I know, it could be a lack of trees and flowers; but it sounds more as if it is about people. Is it about our children?
A. You are very perceptive. It’s not only about nature having a deficit as we lose farmlands to developers, it’s about our kids experiencing a “deficit” in their contact with the outdoors. NDD pertains to a lack of trees and flowers and a child’s experience of them, and it also refers to today’s child’s preoccupation with a “virtual experience” through the “techie” toy. With the popularity of TV’s reality shows, computers, Game Boys, Xboxes, iPods and other equipment that cuts the user off from the sights, sounds and smells of the world of nature, a new “disorder” has entered our vocabulary: NDD.
Picture a new housing development. What do you see? Row after row of new homes sitting on bare streets set against a raw, treeless hillside. Where are the trees? Even in today’s high-end neighborhoods, gardens and yards are sacrificed for new and remodeled McMansions that overwhelm their lots. How many treehouses do you see in your neighborhood?
Author Richard Louv, in his “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Algonquin Books, 2005),” found that there is better access to nature in New York City’s Central Park than in some of the newer suburbs.
Louv’s research reports that kids are “so plugged into television and video games that they’ve lost their connection to the natural world.” And, living in the country no longer ensures a healthier lifestyle for kids. A recent study found that obesity is growing faster in rural areas due to TV, computer and long car rides versus bikes and walking.
An interesting and ironic fact to ponder: Obesity in today’s children coincides with the growth of organized sports.
Key: Learning through a “virtual” experience is just that - a one-dimensional spectator experience. No imagination and no physical activity is required; therefore, there is no creativity and no exercise.
Key: Balance the technological with a walk in the park or a dip in the ocean; introduce your children to their senses: smell the smells, feel the breeze, hear the sounds and see the life underfoot, overhead and beside you.
Key: A lack of connection to the natural world makes children fearful, and that is not a good thing; to be fearful is a deficit: mentally, physically and emotionally.
Judy Duque is a licensed Marriage, Family Therapist practicing in Mountain View.
She may be reached at 941-1000 or at jsduque-@mac.com
