In the United States, statistics show that Gen Z (Born from 1997-2012) are spending 25% less time outdoors than Gen X. School plays a partial role in this issue as students don’t have enough free time to spend time outdoors or they simply don’t want to. Excessive indoor and screen time results in an alarming increase in obesity rates, decreased cardiovascular health, decreased bone density, mental health issues, and a load of different problems. The solution? Make them spend more time outdoors. Similar to an advisory schedule, there should be a 45min to an hour of time set aside for students to go outside and interact with others. This would promote social activity and physical movement.
Screen time has been a concerning issue since the early 1980’s. Pediatricians would release statements expressing their concern over kids’ behaviors resulting in excessive screen time. Since the inception of the smartphone, the issue has only multiplied. A study done by the CDC shows that average screen time in 2021 of teenagers from 12-17 years of age was around 4 hours or more. Now, that number has nearly doubled. That adds up to 126 days out of the year on their cell phone. Teens, on average, spend more time on their screen than their sleep. This is obviously a serious problem, not just from a physical and mental aspect, but as a society we need to address this epidemic to prevent the rise of a lazy next generation. An 11th Grade student, Austin, told us “Schools, particularly high schools, do not make enough accommodations for time outdoors. The idea that students should have a set time period of time given for students to go outside is appealing”. Another 11th Grade student confirms this, saying “students’ behavior indoors is stricter” and “being able to do what they wanna do while being outdoors allows for them to be themselves and be free.” It can be observed that students who are outside are physically and emotionally active compared to when they are indoors.
If schools give kids and teens an opportunity to go outdoors and connect with others through sport, you not only solve the issue of not spending time outdoors and not socializing, but they now are doing exercise which solves multiple problems at once. Given that students in the U.S. spend 6 hours a day in school staring at their chromebooks for most of the day, it’s only fair that schools take action in giving kids the opportunity to connect with their peers through nature. Parents need to also allow their kids to spend more time outdoors and stay away from screens and technology. Gen Z is the generation that will run this country in the future. They need to experience the natural world to understand and learn how to make responsible decisions.
