By: Kendall Novak, CycleHealth Intern
A new article titled “The Great Indoors: Today’s Screen-Hungry Kids Have Little Interest In Being Outside” was released by the United Kingdom sports retailer Decathlon. These researchers surveyed more than 2,000 British parents and children, hoping to learn more about the recreational attitudes of society’s youngest generation. This article re introduces us to the problem of kids spending time on their technology. It has become a norm for many families to look over and see their kids playing on their devices, but parents are ready for a change.
This study finds that on average kids ages 6 to 16 spend only an hour outside each day, playing video games more than twice as long. Parents are starting to realize the lack of time their children are spending outside. This study shows that nearly 40% of parents have to force their children to leave the house. Kids are no longer going outside to do the adventurous things that they used to. Many of the kids in this study have not ever been camping, built a fort/den, or even climbed a tree. “Many who had tried these rites of passage couldn’t stop thinking about their devices.” Kids would rather do things such as homework or chores instead of going outside, but the biggest thing keeping kids inside is their gadgets. Parents are trying to encourage their kids to go outside, but they just have no interest.
The point of this article isn’t to prove a point, but to make something very serious known. The research team from Decathlon says, “We want to encourage parents and their children to head outside and enjoy a real-life family adventure!” Go explore the wilderness, take a walk, bike around the lake, anything is better than nothing. Attitudes change with maturity so there is still time to change the kids views on the outdoors. At CycleHealth we always encourage kids to get outside and be active. No matter the season we believe there is something for you to do outside. There is no time like the present to get outside and try something new. You got this!
Check out the study here: https://www.studyfinds.org/great-indoors-screen-hungry-kids-video-games-going-outside/