Adolescents’ experiences in nature: Sources of everyday well-being

Abstract

Recently, adolescents’ decreasing contact with nature has raised concerns in many urbanized societies. In this study, we analyze Finnish adolescents’ leisure time experiences in natural environments. The material consists of 39 thematic writings written by 15–16-year-old adolescents living in the city of Lahti, Finland. The analysis of the written accounts was informed by hermeneutic phenomenology. While visiting nature was a spontaneous everyday activity for young participants, it meant a possibility to escape daily life filled with routines, demands, and social norms. Nature was experienced as multisensory via sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Natural environments enabled not only shared experiences with friends and family but also positive experiences in solitude. The experiences were typically described by their psychological well-being benefits, especially increasing calmness, and improving mood or positive feelings. The findings highlight the importance of acknowledging the role of nature in adolescents’ leisure time experiences.