Stat: Gen Z stay indoors for days as screen time replaces nature

UK – Two-thirds of Gen Z in Britain confess they can go days without stepping outside, according to new research by Super, Natural British Columbia. The study of 2,000 British adults found that 67% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials often remain indoors, with just a quarter of people across all generations making a conscious effort to get outside daily. 

More than four in 10 parents (43%) believe their children spend less time outdoors than they did at the same age. Screen time was the most frequently cited cause, followed by safety concerns, bad weather and busy schedules. 

A third of Gen Z say they do not see enough of nature in the films, tv and music they consume indoors, yet 70% report that seeing nature on screen inspires them to go outside. Programmes such as Countryfile and David Attenborough’s documentaries were most likely to motivate outdoor activity. 

‘Encountering the wonder of [nature] through the content they watch… can spark a genuine desire to seek nature out in real life,’ says Maya Lange, vice-president of global marketing for Super, Natural British Columbia. 

Read our Rebranding Nature report to see how reframing nature as aspirational and immersive can draw Gen Z outdoors, and our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction report to better understand this cohort.