[This article is from www.kidsloveearth.co.uk and research carried out by Robinsons be Natural products. Please contact them for more info if necessary]
"School children know less about nature and more about David Beckham
Research released today has found that British primary school children can list almost four times as many celebrities as they can wildflowers, birds and wild animals. The research, which sought to uncover how much children know about nature, also found that one in four children are not aware that a tadpole develops into a frog in later life.
When asked to identify celebrities, children aged 6-11 years could list on average 8 celebs with pop sensation, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) as the number one pick, followed closely by David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Zach Efron from High School Musical. Other popular picks for girls included Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue, whilst boys reeled off famous faces such as Steven Gerrard, Simon Cowell and Michael Jackson.
Conversely, when asked to turn their focus to the British countryside, children could only name on average 2 wild flowers, 3 wild animals and 4 garden birds. Children were however able to spin off the names of 10 cartoon characters in addition to the 8 celebrities.
Interestingly, almost half of children surveyed (47%) said playing outside was their favourite playtime activity. Yet despite this passion for the outdoors, the research results showed that children know very little about the world around them.
The survey, undertaken by Robinsons be Natural involved more than 1,000 families across the UK. Other key findings from the research are listed below.
- 1/4 of children in the Midlands believe the dolphin is a common wild animal found in the UK
- 14% of children could not list any wild animals in the UK countryside. The figures were highest in Wales with 25% of Welsh children unable to list any wild animals
- 27% of children in Northern Ireland were not aware a caterpillar develops into a butterfly in later life
- Children in London listed the tomato as a common British wild flower, whilst children in the North West named the penguin as a garden bird residing in the UK
Top 5 Celebrities Named:
1. Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana)
2. David Beckham
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Zach Efron
5. Britney Spears
Top 5 Cartoon Characters Named:
1. Spongebob Squarepants
2. Simpsons Characters (Bart/Homer)
3. Tom and Jerry
4. Scooby Doo
5. Mickey Mouse
Top 5 Wild Flowers Named:
1. Daisy
2. Buttercup
3. Dandilion
4. Bluebell
5. Poppy
Top 5 Wild Animals Named:
1. Fox
2. Rabbit
3. Squirrel
4. Deer
5. Badger
Top 5 Garden Birds Named:
1. Robin
2. Blackbird
3. Pigeon
4. Blue Tit
5. Chaffinch
http://www.kidsloveearth.co.uk/downloads/School%20children%20know%20less%20about%20nature%20and%20more%20about%20David%20Beckham.doc "
Readers must bare in mind that this research has been carried out by a corporation (Robinsons be Natural) in pursuit of profit, but nevertheless its research results have been constantly replicated by many other studies and research in this field.
We are witnessing the first generations of children and young adults that understand and experience more from the media than the natural world, and whom are influenced more by celebrity culture than ever before. All at a time when the need for action to counteract climate change is long overdue, and many studies on the topic show what we already know: that the media perpetuates sexist, racist and homophobic influences within society, and therefore within the individual: especially the growing child.
Is this a harmless societal 'progression' (or 'regression') that we must accept? Or are we shamefully failing the next generation of young adults by not addressing these issues?
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