According to a new in-depth study, addiction to digital technologies is causing numerous forms of health problems for children—including more social isolation, lack of physical development, and decreased vitamin D because of light exposure, which causes premature thinning of the neocortex. Considering this, it’s no wonder more and more parents are enrolling their children in nature-based education.
From the suburbs in Colorado to the fringes of Chicagoland, kids are being sent to nature preschools or forest kindergartens. The idea is that before they have the chance to learn bad habits such as falling asleep with your iPhone, let’s allow these kids to create an environmental identity before they have a social media identity. Let them saturate in nature.
This return to nature-based education, which was more common at the start of the 20th century, is the focus of a beautiful long-form article from David T. Sobel. You can find it here.