IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i18p6879-d416503.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Feeling Connected after Experiencing Digital Nature: A Survey Study

Author

Listed:
  • Josca van Houwelingen-Snippe

    (Communication Science, University of Twente, De Zul 10, 7522 NJ Enschede, The Netherlands)

  • Thomas J. L. van Rompay

    (Communication Science, University of Twente, De Zul 10, 7522 NJ Enschede, The Netherlands)

  • Somaya Ben Allouch

    (Digital Life Research Group, University of Applied Sciences Amsterdam, Wibautstraat 2, 1091 GM Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Digital nature can provide a substitute for real nature for those who have limited access to green space, or are confined to their homes, for example during the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. In a large-scale online survey, respondents ( N = 1203) watched videos of digital nature, varying in terms of type of nature (wild versus tended nature) and spaciousness. Results show a significant increase of feelings of connectedness to the community after watching digital nature. Furthermore, tended nature scenes elicited more social aspirations than wild nature scenes. A multiple regression model further shows that living further away from nature was a significant predictor for loneliness scores, while number of nature interactions during a week was not. Results of this study confirm the importance of nature interaction for mental and social wellbeing for the general population and stress the potential of digital nature as a complementary strategy. These findings are of particular relevance to those who lack access to nature due to old age and related mobility constraints or a lockdown.

Suggested Citation

  • Josca van Houwelingen-Snippe & Thomas J. L. van Rompay & Somaya Ben Allouch, 2020. "Feeling Connected after Experiencing Digital Nature: A Survey Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6879-:d:416503
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6879/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6879/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Julianne Holt-Lunstad & Timothy B Smith & J Bradley Layton, 2010. "Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(7), pages 1-1, July.
    2. Josca van Houwelingen-Snippe & Thomas J. L. van Rompay & Menno D. T. de Jong & Somaya Ben Allouch, 2020. "Does Digital Nature Enhance Social Aspirations? An Experimental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Rudd, Melanie & Vohs, Kathleen D. & Aaker, Jennifer, 2012. "Awe Expands People's Perception of Time, Alters Decision Making, and Enhances Well-Being," Research Papers 2095, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    4. Debanjan Banerjee & Mayank Rai, 2020. "Social isolation in Covid-19: The impact of loneliness," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(6), pages 525-527, September.
    5. Lisanne Bergefurt & Astrid Kemperman & Pauline van den Berg & Aloys Borgers & Peter van der Waerden & Gert Oosterhuis & Marco Hommel, 2019. "Loneliness and Life Satisfaction Explained by Public-Space Use and Mobility Patterns," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-20, November.
    6. Benjamin D. S. Cartwright & Mathew P. White & Theodore J. Clitherow, 2018. "Nearby Nature ‘Buffers’ the Effect of Low Social Connectedness on Adult Subjective Wellbeing over the Last 7 Days," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tianrong Xu & Nikmatul Adha Nordin & Ainoriza Mohd Aini, 2022. "Urban Green Space and Subjective Well-Being of Older People: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-29, October.
    2. Kirsten McEwan & Harriet Collett & Jean Nairn & Jamie Bird & Mark A. Faghy & Eric Pfeifer & Jessica E. Jackson & Caroline Cook & Amanda Bond, 2022. "The Feasibility and Impact of Practising Online Forest Bathing to Improve Anxiety, Rumination, Social Connection and Long-COVID Symptoms: A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Hansen Li & Xing Zhang & Shilin Bi & Haowei Liu & Yang Cao & Guodong Zhang, 2021. "Green Exercise: Can Nature Video Benefit Isometric Exercise?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-12, May.
    4. Sang M. Lee & DonHee Lee, 2020. "Lessons Learned from Battling COVID-19: The Korean Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-20, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kung, Claryn S.J. & Pudney, Stephen E. & Shields, Michael A., 2022. "Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    2. Jessica Lee Oliva & Kim Louise Johnston, 2021. "Puppy love in the time of Corona: Dog ownership protects against loneliness for those living alone during the COVID-19 lockdown," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 67(3), pages 232-242, May.
    3. Josca van Houwelingen-Snippe & Thomas J. L. van Rompay & Menno D. T. de Jong & Somaya Ben Allouch, 2020. "Does Digital Nature Enhance Social Aspirations? An Experimental Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis & Helder Fernando Pedrosa Sousa & Andreia de Moura & Lilian M. F. Viterbo & Ricardo J. Pinto, 2019. "Health Behaviors as a Mediator of the Association Between Interpersonal Relationships and Physical Health in a Workplace Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-9, July.
    5. Evans-Polce, Rebecca J. & Staff, Jeremy & Maggs, Jennifer L., 2016. "Alcohol abstention in early adulthood and premature mortality: Do early life factors, social support, and health explain this association?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 71-79.
    6. Daniela Huber & Johanna Freidl & Christina Pichler & Michael Bischof & Martin Kiem & Renate Weisböck-Erdheim & Gabriella Squarra & Vincenzo De Nigris & Stefan Resnyak & Marcel Neberich & Susanna Bordi, 2023. "Long-Term Effects of Mountain Hiking vs. Forest Therapy on Physical and Mental Health of Couples: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-20, January.
    7. Santini, Ziggi Ivan & Jose, Paul E. & Koyanagi, Ai & Meilstrup, Charlotte & Nielsen, Line & Madsen, Katrine R. & Koushede, Vibeke, 2020. "Formal social participation protects physical health through enhanced mental health: A longitudinal mediation analysis using three consecutive waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in E," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 251(C).
    8. Ruta Clair & Maya Gordon & Matthew Kroon & Carolyn Reilly, 2021. "The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-6, December.
    9. Lena Lämmle & Alexander Woll & Gert B. M. Mensink & Klaus Bös, 2013. "Distal and Proximal Factors of Health Behaviors and Their Associations with Health in Children and Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-35, July.
    10. Fernando L Vázquez & Patricia Otero & J Antonio García-Casal & Vanessa Blanco & Ángela J Torres & Manuel Arrojo, 2018. "Efficacy of video game-based interventions for active aging. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-24, December.
    11. Valéria Teresa Saraiva Lino & Nádia Cristina Pinheiro Rodrigues & Mônica Kramer de Noronha Andrade & Inês Nascimento de Carvalho Reis & Lucília Almeida Elias Lopes & Soraya Atie, 2019. "Association between visual problems, insufficient emotional support and urinary incontinence with disability in elderly people living in a poor district in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A six-year follow-up," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-12, May.
    12. Regina Kuppen & Mirjam de Leede & Jolanda Lindenberg & David van Bodegom, 2023. "Collective Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases in an Ageing Population with Community Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    13. Joanne Brooke & Maria Clark, 2020. "Older people’s early experience of household isolation and social distancing during COVID‐19," Journal of Clinical Nursing, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(21-22), pages 4387-4402, November.
    14. Qin Xiang Ng & Kuan Tsee Chee & Michelle Lee Zhi Qing De Deyn & Zenn Chua, 2020. "Staying connected during the COVID-19 pandemic," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 519-520, August.
    15. Becky Leshem & Gabriela Kashy-Rosenbaum & Miriam Schiff & Rami Benbenishty & Ruth Pat-Horenczyk, 2023. "Continuous Exposure to Terrorism during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model in the Israeli Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    16. Fredrica Nyqvist & Bernd Pape & Tony Pellfolk & Anna Forsman & Kristian Wahlbeck, 2014. "Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 545-566, April.
    17. Clément Meier & Jürgen Maurer, 2022. "Buddy or burden? Patterns, perceptions, and experiences of pet ownership among older adults in Switzerland," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1201-1212, December.
    18. Septianto, Felix & Ye, Sheng & Northey, Gavin, 2021. "The effectiveness of advertising images in promoting experiential offerings: An emotional response approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 344-352.
    19. Jintao Li & Yan Dai & Cynthia Changxin Wang & Jun Sun, 2022. "Assessment of Environmental Demands of Age-Friendly Communities from Perspectives of Different Residential Groups: A Case of Wuhan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    20. Nakagomi, Atsushi & Tsuji, Taishi & Saito, Masashige & Ide, Kazushige & Kondo, Katsunori & Shiba, Koichiro, 2023. "Social isolation and subsequent health and well-being in older adults: A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6879-:d:416503. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.