0
0
Americans Spend On Average 95% of Their Time Indoors
Americans spend a startling 95% of their time indoors – that equates to nearly 346 days a year – according to an analysis by Columbia University which was commissioned by the makers of Claritin. To bring the issue out in the open, Claritin is partnering with actor and outdoor enthusiast Josh Duhamel and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to launch its “Be An Outsider” campaign.
The campaign’s message is simple – get outside. Studies suggest spending time outdoors in nature has been associated with health benefits such as feelings of reduced stress, improved mood and increased energy.
To inspire people to get outside and demonstrate its commitment to the cause, Claritin has made a three-year commitment of up to a half a million dollars to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nation’s leading youth service organisation, to fund programming to help kids get outside. Yesterday, Josh issued a call to action – Join Claritin and “Be An Outsider” – and help a good cause by sharing a photo of your best outdoor moment on Facebook or Instagram with both hashtags #BeAnOutsider and #Claritin by 30 June 2017.
Every post triggers a US$5/£4 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (up to US$50,000/£40,000). To mark the “Be An Outsider” kick-off, Duhamel ceremoniously rolled in on a multi-seater bike, took Boys & Girls Clubs kids on a ride in New York City posting his first official #BeAnOutsider moment. Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide also shared their best outdoor photos, and now Duhamel is asking America to do the same.
“Since my early childhood growing up in North Dakota to now spending time with my young son, being outdoors has always been a big part of who I am and how I enjoy my life,” said Duhamel. “I am excited to join Claritin, a brand I have always counted on, to launch the Be An Outsider campaign and help Boys & Girls Clubs of America kids have more opportunities to gain an appreciation of the great outdoors.”
In the first year, the Claritin and Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s collaboration includes the development of an Outdoor Resource and Activity Guide to help support staff at 4,300 local Clubs to get their local youth outside. In subsequent years, Claritin will work with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to determine key areas that funding can support, which may include the refurbishment of outdoor play areas for select Clubs in need.
The analysis, commissioned by Claritin, of the American Time Use Survey showed similarly across geographies, demographics, incomes and genders, we are spending 33 times more time inside than outside in a year. In fact, nature words are losing their relevance in society. As a consequence, a well-known junior’s dictionary has replaced nature words with more frequently used technology words – say goodbye to “acorn” and hello to “blog.”
“Our work shows that Americans are spending the vast majority of their time indoors. It’s truly compelling how ubiquitous this effect is – whether you live in sunny Los Angeles or rainy Seattle, whether you have kids or not, single or married, whether you are young or old, high or low income, there is little variation in time spent indoors. Other research suggests that time spent outside in nature may be beneficial to our health because people are more likely to be physically active and more relaxed,” said Matthew Neidell, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, the lead researcher of the American Time Use Survey analysis.
To learn more about the Claritin “Be An Outsider” campaign, simple ways to get involved, and more about how you can help Boys & Girls Clubs of America, visit claritin.com/beanoutsider.
Average Rating