Close your smartphone and tablet, turn on nature! Being connected to the natural environment makes children happier, a new study reveals
Close your smartphone and tablet, turn on nature! Being connected to the natural environment makes children happier, reveals a new study in Frontiers in Psychology, led by Dr. Laura Berrera-Hernández and her team at the Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON).
We already knew this, but the team showed for the first time that connecting with nature makes children happier, just like adults do.
As our planet faces the growing threats of changing climate, deforestation and mass extinction of the species that inhabit it, research focusing on the relationship between man and nature clearly shows us the way forward, especially in relation to new generations. , who are called to play the role of future custodians of the Earth.
Researchers claim that a disconnection from nature, defined as "Nature deficit disorder", it can also contribute to the destruction of the planet, since the lack of a link with the natural world does not give rise to the desire to protect it. This explains the importance of research like this.
Berrera-Hernández describes the "connection with nature" not only as appreciating the beauty of nature, but also as "being aware of the interrelation and dependence between ourselves and nature, appreciating all the nuances of nature and feeling part of it. ".
The study recruited as many as 296 children between the ages of 9 and 12. All participants were given a scale of values to measure their connection with nature, sustainable behaviors (pro-ecological behavior, frugality, altruism and fairness) and happiness. Children also had to express personal judgment on phrases such as "Human beings are part of the natural world" and on sustainable behaviors, for example "Separate empty bottles to recycle them".
The team found that, even for children, feeling connected with nature had positive associations with sustainability practices and behaviors, and consequently with higher levels of perceived happiness. This suggests how children perceive themselves the most connected to nature they tend to have more sustainable behaviors, and therefore also have higher levels of happiness. Previous research on adults had suggested a relationship between connection with nature and the development of pro-environmental behaviors (in addition to the happiness that came with it).
The findings provide insight into the power of positive psychology in terms of sustainability (also) in children. In conclusion, this study suggests that if we want to develop attention and concern for the environment in the younger generations, then initiatives to encourage and enable young people to spend more time in nature.
We already know the benefits, and they are many.
"Parents and teachers should promote contact or exposure to nature, because our results indicate that exposure to nature is directly related to the ability to connect with it and, in turn, to sustainable behavior and happiness" , concludes Berrera-Hernández.
Fonte: Frontiers in Psychology
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