Do CD-ROMs and nature videos instill a love of nature in children?
There is a modest but growing body of research about the influences that make people choose careers as environmentalists, naturalists, ecologists, and so on–careers suggesting a concern for the natural world. Louise Chawla of Kentucky State University, having recently reviewed this literature, reports a remarkable consistency regarding two of the dominant influences: wild places directly experienced (usually at a young age), and adult mentors. The crucial requirement for the child to develop a love for nature is not that he be exposed to novel, high-impact screen images, but rather that he actively discover within himself a connection to the phenomena he is observing. High-impact images create a hunger for “more and better,” but, if anything, put the child at an even greater psychological distance from the natural world than before.
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- Do CD-ROMs and nature videos instill a love of nature in children?
