SubscribeStudy: Americans Spending 25% Less Time In Nature
This study came out a few days ago: Americans Brush Off Call of the Wild for Allure of Electronics, Study Suggests; (Study Abstract)
Experts report that the typical American spends up to 25% less time in nature than in 1987, and time spent in nature dropped by about 1% annually since then.
The researchers tracked visits to National Parks, hiking, camping, and getting a license to hunt or fish. Chilling out in your backyard didn’t count.
While the article on WebMD does point out that TV and computers can’t take all the blame, which is true, I do think they take most of the blame. First, there is the very obvious fact that there are simply more entertainment options available inside the home than there were in 1987. In 1987, the average household received 19 television stations. As of 2004, that number was over 100, a 5-fold increase.(1) In 1987, the World Wide Web was non-existent. Today, it’s in nearly 75% of the homes in the United States with 45% of the homes having high-speed access.(2) Neither of these things takes into account the availability of satellite TV, the prevalence of movies in the theater, or DVD sales.
Beyond those two things, people just seem plenty content to sit inside and watch the tube. I can’t speak for people’s attitudes in 1987, as I was only 7 years old, but today, it’s obvious that we’re spending more time in front of the screen. The coming of Digital Video Recording (DVR) several years back has likely had an effect as well. Today, 20% of the homes in the US have a DVR to record their favorite TV shows.(3) What this means is that we can now fill our DVR with shows that we can’t watch at their normal times, then veg out for hours at a time watching them. It’s easy to search the 100+ channels, find a show that looks interesting, and record it. When one show goes off the air for the season, just find another one to fill the time slot.
Here’s an interesting thought:
“We don’t see how future generations, with less exploration of nature, will be as interested in conservation as past generations,” Pergams says in a news release.
I’m considering more how a move away from nature decreases the appreciation for nature, but conservation is tied up in that. The most highly computer-enhanced movie can’t hold a candle to the beauty of Niagara Falls or the view from the top of a mountain. If you want high definition, go walk through a forest bursting with fall colors.
I have opinions regarding the quality and value of almost all TV programming, but I’m not feeling up to a rant right now. I have a feeling there’s a striking correlation between US citizens spending less time in nature and US citizens expanding around the belt line.
Sources:
(1) Average number of TV channels receivable by US household drops in 2004
(2) US Internet Penetration
(3) DVR Love Spreading
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Filed in Exploring Nature 5 Comments so far
Joe Matasic on 07 Feb 2008 at 10:24 am #
I spend as much time outside as I can. I usually ride after work and weekends. I we also hang out in the pool or golf on weekends. Should kayak more than I since I’m near the Gulf. While not the “outdoors,” it’s certainly better than being inside. Since we live in Florida, it hard to spend as much time in the woods we like. That minimum 10 hour drive to find mountains sucks. We do it anyways. Going backpacking this weekend in Tenn for 3 days. Also hiking a week in Glacier National Park this summer. Probably another trip after that. Two weeks from now, will be in Steamboat for skiing. Not sure if that counts.
I’m a computer geek and used to be on the computer all day. Even after leaving work. Now I only use the computer at home if I need to do something specific: finances, research, whatever. I really only DVR two programs (Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother). I find that unlike what you suggested it lets me squeeze these programs in for less time. You figure 30 minutes vs 22 minutes. I do watch other TV, usually while I’m eating dinner or doing chores around the house. It’s almost always History, Discovery, or Food Channel type stuff.
My fiancee DVR’s a lot more. I’m breaking her of this habit. When she watches shows I don’t, I sit there with her and catch up on Backpacker and Nat Geo Adventure so we can spend “quality time” together. In fact, every new TV season, she always goes lets DVR this new show. I always ask her why. She says what if is good and you like it. My reply is always the same: “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want to watch another show.” I’m so far behind on my reading as it is.
I’m not an angel though. College Football gets me every season and its the reason I have the HDTV. Though the fringe benefit is Discovery looks amazing. Doesn’t make me want to watch it more. In fact might be the opposite. I only check the HD channels to see what’s on. Of course that’s only going to last another year or so.
Scott Kustes on 07 Feb 2008 at 10:39 am #
Joe, your use of the DVR is the way I think it should be used. It’s the way your fiancee uses it that I see most people doing though. They use it to try out new shows and find ways to keep their schedule filled with new shows that require time every week.
Your outdoor activities sound awesome. I need to pull myself away from the computer more often. It’s my vice. I’m not much into watching college sports anymore. I don’t even follow the local teams. But I do spend way too much time on the CPU.
My goal is to start spending more time outdoors. While it may not help these stats since it won’t all be in National Parks, it’s really all about doing things for myself.
Cheers
Scott
Anna on 07 Feb 2008 at 3:58 pm #
I love having a DVR though it took some time to get the best use of it. We probably still watch a bit too much, but we watch only the shows we really want to watch at a time that is convenient (The Daily Show, international soccer, Masterpiece Theater, etc.), and we breeze through all the fix-yur-credit, ED, and RLS ads. When we do allow our son to watch TV on weekends and school holidays, he now watches interesting shows we have recorded during the week, like Survivorman and the Young Indiana Jones series, or Little House on the Prairie. Fewer exposure to ads and far less exposure to SpongeBob is our goal.
Scott, have you read the book, Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv? I can’t remember the subtitle, but it has something to do with what he terms Nature Deficit Disorder (not related to ADD, etc.). He used to be a columnist in the local SD, CA paper and he has interesting things to say about the reduced exposure our children and the future generations will have with nature, which reduces their appreciation and understanding of the natural world, and the ramifications of this development. It’s a fairly quick fook to read and worth the time, whether or not you have children.
Matt Metzgar on 07 Feb 2008 at 4:48 pm #
Here’s what I think is happening: in ancient times, people didn’t ever have to “decide” to spend time indoors or outdoors. They were in nature 24/7. Hence, I don’t think people evolved with any decision-making architecture about whether to spend time indoors or out. By spending more time indoors, they are probably less happy but don’t know why.
Scott Kustes on 07 Feb 2008 at 5:07 pm #
Anna, I added that book to my wish list. It sounds interesting. Hopefully I get to it one day. I just picked up Alan Weisman’s “The World Without Us” today.
Matt, That’s a very interesting theory and at least on the surface, I can’t see any flaws in it. Thanks for mentioning that. Also, very nice site.
Cheers
Scott