Children spend only 40 minutes outdoors weekly. Research shows people with access to green spaces live up to 15 years longer, and time in nature can work better for mental health than antidepressant medications.
The average kid today only spends 40 minutes a week outside. Now, social media can bring fame and fortune, but what impact does that much screen time have? Last week, I went to a conference in Aspen called The Meeting. It's focused on exploring themes on planning, purpose, passion, health, technology, media, and marketing. There were a ton of athletes, authors, artists, and innovators. Really impressive people. But the most mind-blowing talk was from the founder of NatureDose, an app that allows you to track your time spent outside. He shared the impact that our increased screen time and decreased time in nature is having on our health and mental wellness. For example, individuals with more access to green spaces often live up to 15 years longer than those in urban spaces. And spending time in nature is shown to have a greater impact on our mental health than SSRIs. Now, as important as social media is, it was a great reminder to shut that laptop or turn off that phone and take a walk outside and enjoy the outdoors.
