Time Outdoors Is the Answer to the Mental Health Crisis We See in Kids Today

Nature is calling, but our kids are wearing noise-canceling headphones. We can help them listen.

From Sierra magazine by Jackie Ostfeld

Spending time in nature -- whether that means skipping down a tree-lined city street, getting hands dirty in a school garden, or camping under the stars -- is essential for a healthy childhood. Kids who have opportunities to be in nature are more likely to report lower levels of stress and anxiety, greater social connections, and more feelings of overall happiness. Nearby nature in our communities creates places for kids to run and play, and important buffers from toxic pollutants and the impacts of climate change, like excessive heat and flooding.

Yet far too many kids are being denied basic access to the outdoors where they can breathe fresh air, run, and play. And since the launch of social media and the smartphone, kids are spending more hours than ever before looking down at screens -- sometimes as much as eight hours a day, according to studies. This growing divide between children and nature is contributing to a youth mental health emergency with extreme consequences for the wellness of a generation.

This is an abbreviated version of the full article from Sierra magazine. You can read the full article here.
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This article is from Sierra, the award-winning magazine of the Sierra Club. Sierra is dedicated to stories about exploring, protecting, and living in harmony with the natural world, covering everything from climate change to book reviews and profiles of local changemakers.

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These trends can and must be reversed. At the Sierra Club, we’re working to ensure that kids can safely and regularly access nature everywhere they live, learn, and play. We’re advancing critical park equity funding to continue building and restoring parks in communities that need them most. We’re advocating for investments in green schoolyards and outdoor learning. We’re advancing transportation policy to ensure that families don’t have to own a car to get outdoors.

The Sierra Club is also helping to bring down the cost of visiting public lands by reducing and removing fees for kids and families. Hundreds of volunteer outings leaders are inspiring connections outdoors, by connecting young people with nearby nature in more than 30 communities across the country.

Don't miss more sustainable lifestyle tips, investigative environmental reporting, and the latest climate news delivered directly to your inbox.

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See you outside,
Sierra Club

P.S. Check out the Outdoors For All campaign’s coverage on last week’s episode of Now We Know on CNBC! Watch the clip here and share.
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Jackie Ostfeld is the Director of the Sierra Club's Outdoors For All campaign, and Founder and Chair of the Outdoors Alliance for Kids.

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