ImogenHowden

ProfessorHuizar

UWRT1102

14March2017

TheDeclineofChildrensTimeOutdoors

Sincemydaysinchildhood,alothaschanged.WhenIwasyoungIspenta

majorityofmylifeoutsideandnowkidsseemtobespendingmoreandmoretime

inside.Onewaywecancombatthisistolimitthetimethatdevelopingchildren

havewithtechnology.InastudywiththeU.S.D.AForestService,applicabledata

hasbeenrecordedshowingthedeclineofchildrenstimeoutdoorsinrecentyears.

Theremaybemanypositivethingsthattechnologyhasbroughtintoourlives,but

theimpactithasondevelopingchildrenmaychangethewaytheyplayforever.

Theimpressionthattechnologyhasonoursocietyiseverlasting,itsnot

goingawayanytimesoon.Technologyhashelpedupachievemanyincredible

breakthroughsinscience,education,andinmanyotherthings.Thesurrounding

thoughtoftechnologyisthatitisessentialtolife,butpeopleoftenfailtoseethe

negativeimpactsithasonourworld.Inrecentstudiesonchildrenstimeoutdoors,

therehasbeenagrowingbodyofthoughtthatsuggestsadeclinecomparedtoother

generations(U.S.D.A).Thedatashowsthatdifferentracesandnationalitiesdonot
spendthesameamountoftimeoutside.Thequestionwithinthisdatais;arethe

resourcesthatareavailableincertaincountriesimpactingthetimechildrenplay

outside?

InanarticlebytheU.S.D.AForrestService,Lincolnr.Larson,GaryT.

Green,andH.K.Cordelltalkaboutthedecreaseofchildrenstimeoutsidesince

theincreaseoftechnology.Thearticlesmainfocusistoaddresstheissueofwhy

childrendontgooutsideanymore.Theauthorsdidmanysurveysandconcluded

withthestatisticsoftheamountoftimechildrenspendoutsidedependingonrace,

gender,andage.TheresearchonChildrensTimeOutdoorsisveryextentandgoes

intodetailofthedeclineinchildrenstimeoutside.Thedataanalysisshowsmany

chartsandgraphsonwhychildrendonotspendtimeoutdoors,mostcommon

outdooractivities,timespentoutdoorseachday,anddemographicsofgender,age,

andrace(U.S.D.A).

Someofthechartsandgraphsshowedstatisticsofdailytimespentoutdoors

overallandotherwentintodetailandbrokethenumbersupbyrace.Theresults

werethatmostchildrenwerespendingatleasttwohoursoftimeoutdoorsdaily.

Thechildrenspentthemosttimeoutsideonweekends.Whenbrokenintoraceswe

seethatgenerallyHispanicandWhitechildrenwereoutsidemuchmoreoftenthan

AfricanAmericanchildrenandotherethnicbackgrounds(U.S.D.A).
 Thecauseofthedeclineofchildrenstimeoutdoorsisnotcompletelyclear.

Althoughresearchershavefoundsubstantialevidencethatchildrenarespending

lesstimeoutdoorsthantheirparents,fewstudieshaveactuallyshownthetrendsin

timeoutdoorsonabiggerscale.Afewsurveyshavegottensmallamountsof

informationaboutthisdeclinebutfewhaveexpandedtochildrensoveralltime

outdoors.Thereseemstobeacorrelationwiththedeclineofchildrenstime

outdoorsandtheriseoftechnologyinthelivesofkids.EvidencefromtheKaiser

Foundationhasshownthatin2009childrenageseighttoeighteenengagedinover

sevenhoursoftechnologytimedaily.Theincreaseoftechnologyexposurecould

interferewiththedesiretogooutdoors(U.S.D.A).

Acommonquestionaboutthedecreaseinchildrenstimeoutdoorsdueto

theincreaseintechnologyuseis;whyisthisallofasuddenhappening?Wehave

hadallkindsoftechnologyforalongtime.Althoughwehavehadtelevisionssince

thelate19thcentury,itseemsasthoughtheincreaseoftabletsandsmartphoneshas

propelledtheobsessionevenfurther.

Therearemanypositiveaspectsoftechnologiesimpactonchildren.For

instance,therearemanydatabasesthathelpchildrenlearnschoolrelatedtopics

andsocialskills.Anotherpositiveattributionthattechnologyhasbroughtto

childrenconcernsdisabledadvances.Disabledchildrengreatlyrelyontheever
changingworldoftechnologytohelpthemcopewithdaytodayactivities.Content

mattersgreatlyinthiscase.

Thenegativeimpactsthattechnologyhasondevelopingchildrenmostlikely

doesnotoutweighthepositives,buttheyarestillworthnoting.Obsessivescreen

timehasbeenlinkedtoobesityandareductioninexerciseamongchildren.

Researchalsohasshownthattoomuchscreentimecancauseanumberof

psychologicalandmedicalhealthissues.AnotherstudyinAustraliashowsthattoo

muchscreentimeincreasedloneliness,depression,withdrawal,anxiety,attention

problems,andaggression(Rosen).

WhenIwasyoungIdidnothaveaniPhoneoranXbox,Ihadtheoutdoors.

IfIwantedentertainment,Ihadtomakeitmyselfbygoingoutsideandexploring.

Thekidsthataregrowingupintodaysculturearegluedtotheirtabletsandthey

treattheirphonesliketheyreanextralimb.Theimpactthattechnologyhasonthe

worldisastronomicalandwilldefiantlynotdecrease;butshouldchildrenmissout

onaproperupbringingbecauseofthedistractionsitbrings?

Ihaveastronginterestinthisinquirybecause,Imyself,donotwantmy

childrengrowingupbehindascreen.Iwantmychildrentoexperiencetheworldas

IdidwhenIwasyoung.Ipersonallybelievethatpartofmychildhoodhasmade

meabetterpersonallaround.Childrenaregoingtodevelopmanymoreskills
outsidethantheyeverwouldbeplayingavideogame.Thepurposeofthese

currentconversationsonmytopicaretoeducatepeopleontheimportanceofplay

inthedevelopingagesofchildren.Thepointistonotonlyadvocateforchangein

theyoungergenerationsbuttoincreaseawarenessforthenegativeeffectsthatan

immenseamountoftechnologycanhaveondevelopingchildren.

Amothersperspectiveoftryingtogetherchildrentoplayoutsidemoreisa

greatviewofthestruggleparentshavewiththisissue.Rachelisamotheroftwin

boysEvanandHunter.Rachelsfondestmemoriesincludeatreehousethatshe

spentamajorityofherchildhoodin.WhenRachelbuiltatreehouseforhersons

theysimplywantedtogobackindoorssotheycouldconnecttotheWiFi.Rachel

soonrealizedthatherkidshadbecomeindoorkids.Inthebeginningshethought

theirfondnesstowardstechnologywasgreatandthatitwouldbeakeytosuccess

laterinlife.Now,Rachelisworriedthatherkidsarespendingtoomuchtime

indoors.Generationsgrowingupinthe1970sand1980sspentmorethannine

hoursofoutdoorplayontheweekends.Todaysgenerationdoesnottrulyknow

whatitmeanstobeanoutdoorperson(Ascharya).

WhenIwasyoungIspentamajorityofmylifeoutsideandnowkidsseem

tobespendingmoreandmoretimeinside.Onewaywecancombatthisistolimit
thetimethatdevelopingchildrenhavewithtechnology.Studiesallovertheworld

showapplicabledatathathasbeenrecordedshowingthedeclineofchildrenstime

outdoorsinrecentyears.Theremaybemanypositivethingsthattechnologyhas

broughtintoourlives,buttheimpactithasondevelopingchildrenmaychangethe

waytheyplayforever.
 WorksCited

Ascharya, Kat. "Why So Many Kids Dont Play Outside Anymore." 2machines.

2machines, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Calam, Rachel, Matthew Sanders, Chloe Miller, Vaneeta Sadhnani, and Sue-Ann

Carmont. "Can Technology and the Media Help Reduce Dysfunctional

Parenting and Increase Engagement with Preventative Parenting

Interventions?" Child Maltreatment. Vol. 13, no. 4, (2008): 347-361. Print.

http://uncc.worldcat.org/oclc/1430438557961

Lou, Shi-Jer, Ru-Chu Shih, Hung-Tzu Liu, Yuan-Chang Guo, and Kuo-Hung

Tseng. "The Influences of the Sixth Graders' Parents' Internet Literacy and

Parenting Style on Internet Parenting." Turkish Online Journal of

Educational Technology - Tojet. Vol. 9, no. 4, (2010): 173-184. Print.

http://uncc.worldcat.org/oclc/700280376
Raskind, Marshall, and Eleanor Higgins. "Reflections on Ethics, Technology, and

Learning Disabilities." Journal of Learning Disabilities. Vol. 28, no 7,

(1995): 425-438. Print. http://uncc.worldcat.org/oclc/1430439891846

Rosen, L. D. "Media and Technology Use Predicts Ill-being among Children,

Preteens and Teenagers Independent of the Negative Health Impacts of Exercise

and Eating Habits." Media and Technology Use Predicts Ill-being among Children,

Preteens and Teenagers Independent of the Negative Health Impacts of Exercise

and Eating Habits. Science Direct, June 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

EIP WORK DRAFT 2: Peer Review Sheet

Reviewed by: Travis Rogers

Tag, Label, Highlight, Question, Explain and Comment

A) INTRODUCTION
THE FIVE RHETORICAL TASK
1. Issue, topic, or problem identified [task 1]
2. Outlined/described that problem for the audience [task 2]
 3. Contextualized problem by entering the conversation of prominent voices [task 3]
4. Thesis (claim + reasoning) [task 4]
5. Preview the kinds of evidence/ analysis thatll be employed in addressing issue [task 5]

1. THESIS. Locate the central persuasive stance of the essay. Underline the claim and highlight the
reasoning parts of the sentence. Evaluate the strength of the thesis as a whole and by its component parts,
the claim and proposed reasoning.
a. What are your concerns about this thesis?
b. What questions does the thesis immediately raise for you as a reader?

1. INTRO CONTEXT (Tasks# 1 - 3, above). Evaluate the context and shaping of the surrounding situation.
To what extent does the essay demonstrate a current, specific, exigent, particular (non-generic) context or
discourse from which the issue arises and is best understood by? Offer probing questions, advice or
feedback on the contextualization of the essays stance.

1. INTRO HOLISTIC FEEDBACK. Offer your overall thoughts / questions / suggestions / concerns
/feedback on the strengths or setbacks of the essays intro. Evaluate and give one or two take-away ideas
about the organizational, logical, rhetorical or stylistic concepts.

1. CONSISTENT MESSAGE. Return to the introduction after reading body paragraphs: To what extent
does the essay development correspond and uphold the thesis reasoning and overall introductory setup?
Put another way: is there any disconnect between the introductions stated direction and the actual work
of the essay?

B) Essay Development: Vertical Idea/Paragraph Development.

ANATOMY OF A PERSUASIVE PARAGRAPH
1. Topic Sentence claim
2. Set-up Ideas /introduce source
3. Evaluate and Analyze sources
4. Build insight, synthesis, implications, conclusions

1. PARAGRAPH Development.
a. Go through a full page or so of the body paragraphs (approx 3 or 4 parag.). Quickly identify topic claim,
evidence and evaluation/analysis in them. Based on patterns in your findings: Which aspects of the
anatomy of a paragraph (above) does the essay need to work on? Point to examples where the topic claim
or analysis or insight falls short of potential.
b. They Say I Say / Naysayers /Opposing Views. Anticipating objections and raising them in paragraph
analysis can strengthen ones position. What objections might be raised and where? Write out your
objections for the writer and offer any feedback on TSIS work.
c. Which paragraph or section was the strongest? Weakest? Feedback.
d. Any recommendations on the order of the paragraph development. Is it moving vertically and toward
greater insight or randomly / tangentially / backwards / ???

1. RESEARCH AND CITATION. Source credibility can be established in many ways (a writers job,
institutional affiliation, funding sources, reputation) and as readers we take as a given that the writer is
honest and not intentionally misconstruing information. Nonetheless, a position is strengthened by brief,
clear indications of source ethos. That in mind...
a. Comment on the apparent quality of the source. Refer to Works Cited page as needed.
b. Comment on the efficient & clear set-up of source. Note any places in need of revision.
c. Comment on the appropriateness on the types of research employed. Reminder: Do not automatically
discount qualitative (non-numerical) methods of support. A logical analysis of a situation or persuasive input from
prominent voices can be as or more valuable than isolated numbers or data. What matters is whether intended
audience will find it compelling and whether that kind of support can contribute insight, add meaning, back-up
claims, etc.
d. MLA. Note whether in-text citations and Works Cited references are accurate/need work. Owl Purdue
Citations Available here. Any other formatting issues to note?

C) Concluding Considerations
1. CONCLUSION. Evaluate the effectiveness of the closing paragraph(s). In your own words, describe and
assess what you understand as the purpose of the essay (the hoped for outcome and response from its
intended audience). To what extent does the conclusion avoid merely repeating the introduction claim and
instead launch itself forward/outward and toward genuine engagement, broader implications or actions,
etc?

1. RHETORICAL SITUATION: Speaker, Message, Audience, Purpose, Exigency.

a. Who is the target audience and does this essay speak to their needs, interests, concerns on this topic? How
so? How not so?
b. Offer a holistic response to application and demonstrated skill of the essays rhetorical effectiveness.
Consider the terms above and their complex interrelations as you discuss.
2. What was the best part of the essay?
3. Offer a final comment on the total effectiveness of the message and its development in the essay.
4. Offer a final suggestion (or two) on what you see as high order concerns / areas in need of further

attention.