Children Flummoxed By Test Of The Natural World

According to an article published today in The Independent   in a new survey of 700 children - they have seemingly lost touch with the natural world and are unable to identify common animals and plants.

Half of youngsters aged nine to 11 were unable to identify a daddy-long-legs, oak tree, blue tit or bluebell, in the poll by BBC Wildlife Magazine. The study also found that playing in the countryside was children's least popular way of spending their spare time, and that they would rather see friends or play on their computer than go for a walk or play outdoors.

Personally, I don't find this terribly shocking or a cause for any alarm.

If, the emotive aspects of synthetic environments are developed with appropriate consideration the end result could be really valuable. That has been the premise of educational programming since it's inception. The impact, reach and influence of technology has changed and our expectations of the child's view of the world must shift accordingly. 

The dichotomy between the physical and synthetic worlds will continue to grow exponentially. With our new economies and technologies it makes perfect sense that the natural order of things in the minds of children has shifted to focus more on cataloging, engaging and understanding synthetic worlds.

Here's a link to the original article.