(Check out the pic of above from my weekend camping trip! Nice, huh!)
In the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day lives, most of us don’t spend a lot of time outside and new research suggests it’s creating a “nature deficit.” The “Nature Report” just released by Super, Natural British Columbia, the official tourism body of British Columbia, Canada, finds there’s a growing disconnect to nature.
Their survey of 2-thousand U.S. adults reveals which Americans spend the most time outside and how much - or how little - we’re getting.
- Surprisingly, city dwellers spend longer outside than people who live in small towns and suburbs.
- Those living in the city get an average of one hour and 17 minutes a day outdoors, 10 minutes more than suburbanites.
- The thing is, more than half (51%) of those city folks say most of this time is spent commuting, not actually engaging with nature.
- There also seems to be a generational nature gap, as older Americans are more likely to spend time outside.
- The average Gen Z adult averages 49 minutes of outdoor time on weekdays, compared to Gen X’s 65 minutes a day. That means Gen Z spends 25% less time in nature.
- More than a third of both Gen Z (44%) and millennials (36%) admit they feel less connected to nature than older generations.
- And two-thirds (67%) of Gen Z confess they can go days without even stepping outside.
- Overall, only 25% of people make a conscious choice to go outside once a day. The top things keeping them inside are bad weather (37%) and not having enough hours in a day (21%).
- Kids aren’t getting out much either, those under 18 average just over 56 minutes a day of unstructured play time in nature.
- It has parents worried, with 19% sharing concerns that their kids aren’t engaging with nature enough.
- Moms and dads say increased screen time (36%), busy schedules (32%) and weather (25%) are the biggest things keeping kids from spending more time outside.
Source: Talking Points