Break Free from the Screen

Break Free from the Screen: Getting Outside After a Year of Isolation

After a year of limitless screen time, endless junk food, and loose bedtimes, it’s time to get back into a rhythm, start planning outdoor adventures, and break free from the screens!

An entire year of isolation is now on the books. Some have called it the “lost year,” others the “pause”—whatever your experience, it’s undeniable that this year has shifted daily reality for each of us. Families across the world focused more on surviving than thriving—relying on screen time to distract, junk food to comfort, and bedtime to flex if it meant everyone at home was happy (there’s no rush in the morning when it’s remote learning, right?!). Now, the world takes a collective sigh of relief. Knowing that the virus is not yet entirely behind us, we can embrace the reality that we are over the worst as we know it. Thanks to breakthroughs in medical science, the world is getting back to normal. So how do we return to life as we know it? Can we? American Heritage Girls encourages your Troop to embrace the outdoors as you prepare to close out another unusual Program Year. After all, the outdoors never really closed at all.

Screen Time vs. Scenic Time

According to a 2019 survey by Common Sense Media, the average American teen (ages 13-18) spends nearly seven and a half hours enjoying screen time daily, while pre-teens (ages 8-12) spend nearly five hours. The most shocking part of this report? This time only accounts for entertainment, like videos and online gaming, while online homework or attending virtual classes are still very much a screen time reality. Teens today are spending the equivalent of nearly an entire workday watching videos, scrolling through social media, and texting with friends.

Most devices, like phones, tablets, and smart TVs, come equipped with the ability to set password-protected screen time limits. Parents: use them for yourself and your kids! But before you try a cold-turkey approach, consider weaning back the time allowed on devices by a half-hour at a time. Plan to use those 30 minutes to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature God created for us!

The Effects of Excessive Tech

There’s no denying that tech is woven into the fabric of our everyday. Thanks to our devices, we know the weather as we dress each morning, can speak to loved ones who live in different time zones, and enjoy any song at the click of a button. But aside from the ways tech makes our life beautiful, if we let it, it can drag us away to a life that’s disconnected, lonely, and unfulfilling. We learned this year that the connections we make with our fellow humans are critical to our everyday happiness. Our connection with nature is just the same. Research shows that individuals who make an effort to get outside each day report lower rates of anxiety than those who stay indoors. God’s creation is the antidote for the great struggle so many people around the world suffer through every day. But it’s not just our anxiety that’s reduced by time in the great outdoors. The same study shows that time spent in nature reduces the bodily presentations of stress, which are damaging to our overall health, and even restore the ability to pay attention. Children especially need time outdoors for proper development. Recent studies show that kids who spend more time indoors are diagnosed with myopia, or nearsightedness, more than those who get outside regularly. Why? Screen time. Limiting the focal length, the distance between your eyes and the thing you’re looking at, causes the human eye’s capability for good vision to diminish. Another important factor, sunlight. Researchers believe UV light has a strong impact on the formation of the eye in childhood.

Excessive screen time is creating a whole generation of nearsighted people. The cure? You guessed it— getting outside! Quite literally looking at things farther away than the TV from the couch, worse yet the iPad in your hands to your eyes, and being in the presence of sunlight is what our kids need for healthy development.

Confidence in Creation

Outdoor experiences are a great way to grow life skills and provide unique experiences. Since the outdoors is a deep-rooted part of the AHG Program, it is crucial for girls to experience God’s creation. These experiences empower girls, grow their confidence, and teach them survival skills. Not only do outdoor adventures help to educate girls about the natural world, but they also provide opportunities for girls to connect with their Creator and His beautiful gift of nature.

Outdoor opportunities are intended to be progressive— ranging from a 15-minute hike to a 10-day canoe and tent trip.

Pathfinders can be introduced to the outdoors through a Troop picnic or hike. At the Tenderheart and Explorer ages, girls are ready for an overnight camping trip in cabins. As younger girls watch older girls plan more and more exciting adventures, their interest is piqued, and their excitement grows. Progressive outdoor opportunities help with girl retention by providing endless avenues for fun and social engagement.

Troops are encouraged to carve out time, at least once per year, to give girls a primitive experience. Troops know their girls best, so each Troop’s interpretation of primitive may differ. The key is making sure that the experience is pushing girls out of their comfort zone enough to allow for growth. Often the girls who were most distraught at the thought of living without their hair straightener and cellphone are the girls that most appreciate the primitive camping experience once they’re home. AHG is proud to prioritize these foundational outdoor experiences for girls in their formative years.

The Perfect Environment for Spiritual Development

When asked what they love most about AHG, the top two responses girls consistently give are “making friends” and “camping.” Troop and Unit camping allows girls to learn new skills, be with their friends, build confidence, persevere through difficult situations, and grow closer to God through nature. AHG believes strongly in the benefits of time in the outdoors. There are many instances in the Bible when God would instruct His people to go into the wilderness in order to teach them an important lesson. In today’s world, it is even more crucial for girls to be able to disconnect from the world in order to reconnect with their Lord.

The different ways people worship and connect with God are known as the Nine Spiritual Temperaments. “Naturalists,” one of the spiritual temperaments, are people who experience God strongly when they are outside. For naturalists, standing atop a mountain, kayaking down a river, or even digging in a garden bed can bring a peace only He can provide.

As Christians, we know the power prayer can have. We don’t always remember, though, that simply being aware of God’s presence is a prayer in itself. When Troops take the time to disconnect from everyday life and focus on what He created for us, we all get the opportunity to form a deeper connection with Him. God gives us so much. The beauty and peace we find in nature can remind us, and our girls, that even in the midst of human failings, God is there.

For more information on how your Troop can implement ways to get your girls outside, visit AHGresource and the AHGequip training app for specific guidance on activities and guidelines for implementing an outdoor program.