Nature-Deficit Disorder: Is This Really a Thing Now?

With the advent of technology, we now see that such ingenuity usually comes with a sizable shift in the human dynamic. For example, we are operating at the highest levels of connectivity; one drastically higher than has been seen by any other generation. The human shift here is propagated by the sheer number of devices owned per home (which themselves are now considered 'smart') and our reliance on these devices. At best, our devices (especially our cell phones) serve as digital assistants who keep our calendars, play our favorite tunes, literally guide us through our day (GPS), and serve as our wallets in case of theft or loss of our physical ones. Not one day goes by that I do not use my phone for business, family, or play. It may as well be a family member itself.

For all of the convenience, ease, and functionality provided though, there has to be some sort of trade-off. As we become more digitally connected to the world that we’ve created within us, we become more aloof to the world that has been created around us (or if you believe in Creation Theory, the world that was created for us). In doing so, we run the risk of developing what has been coined as Nature-deficit disorder. Children in their developmental years are especially highly susceptible to this “disorder”, but what exactly is Nature-deficit disorder?

Nature-deficit disorder is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors than they have in the past, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems.

Richard Louv coined the phrase Nature Deficit Disorder in his book Last Child in the Woods. He argues that all of us are spending more time indoors which makes us feel alienated from nature and perhaps more vulnerable to negative moods or reduced attention span.

Nature-deficit disorder describes the human costs of alienation from nature. Among them are diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness.

Encourage Outdoor Play Time at Home

By enhancing your backyard or setting off on a family-friendly adventure, you’ll help your children to develop an appreciation for the outdoors, while also protecting them from nature-deficit disorder.
Nature-deficit disorder is not a formal diagnosis, but a way to describe the psychological, physical and cognitive costs of human alienation from nature, particularly for children in their vulnerable developing years.

-Daryl K. Jones