Barely a week goes by without children’s mental health making headlines, or a study warning us that the nation’s children are worryingly unhealthy. The latest statistics are alarming, with the number of under-18s admitted to acute hospital wards in England due to serious concerns over their mental health increasing by 65% in a decade.
“We are seeing profound mental illness stemming from excessive social media use, online bullying and screen addiction,” child psychiatrist Dr Emily Sehmer wrote in the Guardian in January. “Children are disappearing into online worlds, unable to sleep, increasingly inattentive and impulsive, emotionally dysregulated and aggressive.”
Concerns around children’s screen-time and smartphone use have led to the rise of initiatives such as Smartphone Free Childhood, but still only 3% of UK 12-year-olds don’t have a smartphone. Part of the solution has to be less about taking devices away, and more about engaging children in different activities, particularly outdoors.
This is why PGL, the UK’s leading outdoor education provider, has launched Thrive, a residential activity programme developed to provide children with offline wellbeing activities. As well as the traditional PGL outdoor challenges, such as climbing, abseiling, archery, kayaking and zip lining, it includes holistic elements such as yoga, mindfulness, breathing techniques and forest bathing, to help children learn to disconnect and relax.
“Being outdoors lowers stress, improves mood and builds resilience,” says Dr Kimberley Bennett, a child psychologist who shares tips on Instagram at @the_psychologists_child. “Studies show just 20 minutes in nature can make children feel noticeably happier. Climbing a tree, for example, teaches problem-solving, perseverance and risk assessment, which is far more valuable than the quick rewards of a video game.”
Of course, this has the added benefit of getting children more active. Only about a third of children and young people in the UK are meeting recommended activity levels, and getting more exercise is as good for their developing brains as it is for their bodies. But the benefits of this approach go far beyond exercise and fresh air. They will learn collaboration, teamwork and independence – skills that children in previous generations perhaps had more opportunities to practise.
PGL has worked closely with primary and secondary school teachers to understand the pressures on children and their families. And Thrive is part of PGL’s Reach framework, created in partnership with teachers, to complement the school curriculum and set children up for happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. The Reach programmes are designed to cover: relationships, experiences, ability, character, health and wellbeing.
This kind of digital detox would be beneficial for any of us, but it’s particularly powerful during the time in children’s lives when every experience is impacting the ways in which their personalities and preferences are maturing. Free from the pressures of social media trends and influencers, they can learn to be themselves. And the focus on bonding and connecting face-to-face will build a foundation on which children can learn to be communicative young adults.
“Socially, outdoor play helps them negotiate, cooperate and navigate real-life friendships,” says Bennett. “When disagreements happen, they have to sort them out – unlike online gaming, where arguments often end with someone logging off. Too much screen time, on the other hand, is linked to irritability, poor sleep and shorter attention spans. Outdoor play helps reset the balance.”
The idea behind PGL’s Thrive programme is that it will provide children with screen-free tools and techniques to improve their mental and emotional resilience and wellbeing, even after their PGL experience is over.
Of course, there is plenty that parents and teachers can do to encourage them to remember and use these tools for life. They can ask our children to share what they learned at PGL, and be vocal about making changes themselves.
“Children copy what they see,” says Bennett. “So if we’re glued to our phones, instead of spending time in the garden or out walking at the park, then they’ll want their screens too. It’s not about banning screens, it’s about making the real world just as fun.
“Make outdoor time a habit, and build it into weekly rituals: take a walk before homework, cycle to school, or take scooters to the local coffee shop on weekends.
“Reduce screen temptation by keeping devices out of easy reach while making outdoor gear – such as basketball hoops, balls or skateboards – readily available.”
Try a few different ideas and see what your child or student is into. They might enjoy planting some vegetables, building a den or playing team sports. Give them opportunities to find something they love, and they’ll actively want to do something positive for their physical and mental health.
That’s where a trip to PGL can really deliver breakthroughs. By being given the opportunity to try new things in new surroundings, children often discover passions, skills and talents they never knew they had. That could mean sudden leaps in self-confidence, and a new sense of what life could look like, away from the stress of constant online connection.
Discover more about the benefits of a digital detox with the PGL Thrive programme
