Nature Deficit Disorder
Louv is the creator of the term "nature deficit disorder" and he likens it to the more widely-accepted seasonal affected disorder, the latter linking exposure to natural light and sunshine to mood and behavior. Louv contends that nature deficit disorder affects mood and behavior to such a degree that it should be considered a mental health condition. Nature deficit disorder links mood and behavior with a lack of time spent outside, as well as also linking obesity, depression and violent tendencies amongst children as well. The condition is primarily said to be something that affects children although adults can also see a marked downturn in their mood when they are not spending time outdoors, surrounded by nature.
The theme extends into the sociological as well, in that it explains the way in which media has affected and in many ways created this condition. Thanks to the media, parents are frightened to let their children outside, and thanks to video game companies, children do not particularly want to go outside. Both of these elements collide to create the deficit.
Childhhod Then versus Childhood Now
One of the key aspects of Louv's research compared the amount of time a parent had spent outside as a child with the amount of time their own children were spending enjoying nature. There was a large discrepancy. Over eighty per cent of parents questioned admitted to spending at least an hour outside every day when they were children. This is certainly not the case now. There is also a huge paradox in this research because the very parents who admit that their childhoods were more rewarding and well balanced are the parents who fear stranger danger, general crime and other threats to their children's safety in the outdoors.
Obesity
The theme of obesity is linked to the theme of a lack of outdoor activity amongst today's youth. The main culprit in this is the education system, as sports are sidelined for more politically correct pastimes that require neither physical effort nor imagination. As children move less, they also are eating more, because television watching and video game playing are often accompanied by the consumption of high calorie snack items.
Urbanization
There are not as many green spaces as there used to be. It's hard to spend time outside in the fresh air when the air is not so fresh and filled with the airborne detritus and dust of construction. As increasing urbanization takes away our green spaces, there are fewer opportunities for children to experience nature outside their front door.
The Scurge of Electronics
Children are not required to use their imaginations very much anymore; video games create ready made scenarios that do not call for a child to use their own sense of creativity. Video games are also highly sedentary (with a few notable exceptions; inter-active sports games are a step in the right direction when it is not possible to physically go outside.) The combination is a less creative child and an unhappier child, because the necessary engagement with nature is overlooked thanks to the addictive quality of the video game.
