On Today's Youth

In the article Out of the Woods: Today's Kids Can't See the Forest for the MTV by Joel Achenbach, the author professes his love for the outdoors and implores parent's of young children to send their kids outside more often. His argument begun after he learned about 'nature-deficit disorder' , "...which basically says our children stay indoors too much, are alienated from nature, and are going a little crazy." That is the first and only time that ailment is mentioned in the text, and no real proof is discussed, so that seems like a bit of a loose end. Achenbach started strong with 'new' information but didn't even explore said information, rather he reminisces for the body of the work on his own childhood experiences with old technology and the outdoors. From a comprehensive standpoint, he doesn't follow his thesis. However, the memories he shares are ones that his audience can surely identify with, and in that way, he is relevant. Activities like climbing trees, building forts, and exploring trails have filled a large part of our generation's youth and with Achenbach mentioning that, he builds a relationship with the audience. His claim is that when he was young, the technology was not near as sophisticated as it is now, so there was no choice but to create your own fun; without endless television channels, computers, or electronic toys. Also, he demonstrates his authority on the subject by explaining the "long hikes" he frequently takes his children on. By the end of this article, the statement is made that it's the parent's fault because they overprotect to the point where kids may be frightened to even leave the house. All in all, the solution is simple; children need to be in touch with nature just as much as being in touch with technology, if not more.