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So I was doing the last of the mandatory EEO training for work and stumbled upon an article talking about reconnecting children with the outdoors. It was actually harder to get through than I thought it would be. I took issue with many things the main one being what they were labeling it. The label was Nature-Deficit Disorder, Does that sound like a real thing to anyone else? Or does it sound like someone gave a name to something in order to draw attention to it. As the article states it is not an official diagnosis (how can you diagnose a child not going outside) but a term to describe children not going outdoors and how they have more issues. I am sorry but that is where parents should be coming in. Lets see they list attention difficulties as one of the symptoms well the child certainly has no problem paying attention 8 hrs a day to Call of Duty whatever because it is something they want to do. Going outside is not going to change that, going outside shows someone there is a world beyond what goes on in the house. Two more things that are tied with not going outside emotional and physical illness. Hmm thats a no brainer on at least the physical illness part going outside and being active or sitting in the house sitting in their room or on the couch playing video games snacking. This is where the supposed "obesity empidemic" is coming from parents letting their little darling snack on all that sugar and play video games and not making htem go outside. How about people instead of blaming all the sugar and insisting that places get ride of sugary drinks and snacks making you children put down that remmote/game controller/etc.. and go use their imaginations,build forts out of sticks,find a friend or four and play basketball, or set up a game of street hockey wether its on inline skates or on their feet. HAVE them do something!!! This is the part where I use an example from my life. I know someone having trouble getting their almost ready to graduate kid to take initiative with his life. WELL hmm lets see you always bought him $100+ shows all the name brand clothes and didn't require him to do more than wash his body and get ok grades in school (no real consiquence if he didn't though)now he's nearing the age where he is suppose to be an adult and he has no functioning skills. The only thing he knows is how to sit in the bedroom and play Call of Duty or whatever the newest video game is. Now the parent is complaining to me that the kid has no drive no ambition but if I say anything about well maybe its because...I am cut off and told well I would rather he do this then out doing drugs. It makes me laugh because wasn't it just last week you told me you caught him smoking pot? So even though you are too lienient on him so that he doesn't rebel and do drugs he still is doing drugs. Boy anyone else spot the missed logic. There is a difference in being a friend and being a parent. Thats what this article should have stated. Be a parent get your kids outdoors lets not label something as a disorder when its really not. So people take action don't let you kids be part of some fake disorder that tells them its not your fault you just have nature-deficit disorder and the cure is to go outside. How about we just say GO OUTSIDE and leave it at that.