Nature deficit disorder

Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, refers to the alleged trend^[1] that children are spending less time outdoors,^[2] resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems.^[3] Louv claims that causes for the phenomenon include parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen.^[4] Recent research has drawn a further contrast between the declining number of National Park visits in the United States and increasing consumption of electronic media by children.^[5]

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Louv spent 10 years traveling around the USA reporting and speaking to parents and children, in both rural and urban areas, about their experiences in nature. He argues that sensationalist media coverage and paranoid parents have literally "scared children straight out of the woods and fields," while promoting a litigious culture of fear that favors "safe" regimented sports over imaginative play.

Further reading

• Louv, Richard. (2006) Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Paperback edition). Algonquin Books. 335pp.
• Louv, Richard, Web of Life: Weaving the Values That Sustain Us.