Modern society is leading us to spend more time indoors. And it's not good.
We all know someone who hardly spends time outside, except for an occasional casual walk in the park or a dash to the stores to get something for a meal.
As we'll see in this article, several studies estimate that we spend about 90% of our time staying indoors and only a mere 10% outside.
This is caused by the ever-evolving lifestyle that is fast becoming worrying in the modern age. Till Roenneberg, a chronologist and a professor at the institute of medical psychology at the Ludwig - Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, explains that an average employee spends just 15 minutes outdoors during the daytime, and this disrupts the natural circadian rhythm (the 24-hour "internal clock" that regulate many of the body's functions).
However, many reasons compel us to stay indoors for a longer time than usual.
The continuous loop of getting out of our houses in the morning, commuting to work or school, meeting clients in an over-the-coffee meeting at restaurants, and getting back home again in the evening has constrained the time we are naturally supposed to be outside gasping lumps of fresh air or getting the sunlight as it is supposed to be.
Many spend 90% of their time indoors. Is this true?
Numerous studies have revealed that we spend a profound amount of time staying indoors.
Both online and in-person surveys have shown that changing lifestyle habits have had a massive impact on how we spend our days. An excellent reference to attest to this is a study done by a team consisting of Rufus Edwards and Matti Jantunen Indoor Time - Microenvironment - Activity Patterns in Seven Regions of Europe [1].
The study aimed at investigating the indoor microenvironment that people who are mostly indoors are exposed to, taking into consideration air quality. It found out that an average person spends about 22 hours indoors, amounting to 90% of the day.
The study further found out that one-third of the time is spent in our homes and the remaining two-third in either schools or workplaces. The ever-changing technology and the digital age have forced us to work from our own homes, study in the comfort of our bedrooms and find ways to entertain ourselves by indulging in our computers and mobile phones to spend our free time. Nature has become a "thing of the past," and we find no thrill interacting with it.
Similarly, this is prevalent in other continents, with Asia and South America being higher. A study done in the United States of America by Neil E. Klepeis and others says that its population spends 87% of the time indoors [2]. This is rapidly becoming increasingly rampant in the modern age.
Other studies indicate that 40% of British citizens also spend less just 15 minutes outdoors a day [3].
What are the reasons for staying indoors?
Staying indoors is compounded by a considerable number of reasons, which can either be by choice or force.
New technology
The dawn of new technology has driven many people into staying indoors more often than they actually should. More recent and advanced technology, including virtual reality, state-of-the-art mobile phone technology, high-end computers, and digital smart televisions, have made life outside our homes less fun.
People settle for seeing the outside world through their gadgets and televisions. This leads to interaction with others through social media platforms. Therefore, they see no great urge to engage in physical conversations and interactions.
The Covid-19 pandemic
The novel covid-19 pandemic has instilled a feeling of threat in being outdoors.
In the bid to curb the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable, state and federal governments have been forced to impose lockdowns and movement restrictions that keep people in their homes. While this is necessary, it goes without saying that it has greatly influenced people to stay inside.
Remote working
The covid-19 pandemic has heralded an era where working from outside our homes is no longer necessary. The world has discovered a new way of working for our companies and still keep them satisfied from the comfort of our sofas at home.
What complements this is that working from home is now much easier and more convenient since there is no more effort required in commuting to our offices and spending on gas or public transport, or waking up early to beat the 6 o'clock traffic.
An older population
Older people tend to go outside less often than younger ones. Furthermore, the young population is getting older with the habit of staying most of the time indoors. The fun of interacting with nature and other people is slowly fading away. History says it shall carry this habit into the next generations, and it will soon become routine for them.
Unemployment and stay at home duties
Unemployment for the active working-age group (25 to 60 years) has been cut short by the covid-19 pandemic. Economic recessions have driven companies and small businesses out of the market. This has rendered many unemployed and has forced them to stay at home.
Similarly, some people have opted to do small casual jobs, including stay-at-home jobs, which further leads to staying indoors.
A 2014 study by PEW Research shows that the number of stay-at-home moms increased to 6% from 1999 to 2014 and up to 16% in 2020. This implies that this type of job is increasingly becoming popular.
The new social economy
Technological advancements have resulted in the emergence of the new "digital economy," where e-commerce, on-line teaching or digital video sharing platforms have become profitable and reliable sources of income.
This has engaged many people from the age of 25 to 40, and has become more involved in this new social class. Many of them tend to work from home and therefore stay indoors more often.
People most affected by staying indoors
Seniors
Retired people and those falling in this category usually are not active and are not employed. They, therefore, spend too much time watching TV, enjoying their hobbies, or -if they're sick- bedridden, among other things.
Except for an occasional walk in the park as advised by their physicians responsible for their health, you will hardly see them outdoors.
People working from home
Remote working has been on the rise for years [4]. Recently, the appearance of the Covid-19 pandemic has introduced turned this into a new normal: working in the comfort of our own homes.
Companies have realized that working from home is as effective as working from offices and are asking many of their employees to stay at home. It has become clear that working from home is more effective and convenient for both employees and their employers.
The downside to this is that it makes these people spend more time indoors and less little time interacting with the outside world.
People working in offices
Even if they work in an office, people spend almost an entire day in an enclosed space.
They come out of their homes in the morning and commute to work where they spend close to 9 hours in their offices with just a few minutes out for their lunch breaks, and go back home in the evening.
They spend an entire day indoors, and for them, it's completely normal.
Gamers, YouTubers, and the new "digital economy class."
The real-time video streaming industry has become more advanced and offers a high definition and exciting gaming experience, and new platforms like Twitch or YouTube live allow them to make money by streaming their games online.
Most people in this category spend most of their daytime glued to their computers while streaming and interacting with their followers while offering them the services they want, and this makes them stay indoors for the better part of their day.
Virtual assistants
The independence of working in offices has made this a typical stay-at-home job.
Virtual assistants can easily offer services like translation, customer support, video or image editing etc. to their clients remotely.
And they do it while accessing their important planning documents and schedules from their offices, at the comfort of their own homes. This, therefore, keeps them indoors more often.
Online tutors and virtual teachers.
The inception of virtual conferencing platforms such as Skype, Zoom or Google Classroom have made it easier for teachers to reach out to their students without them being present in a classroom.
On-line learning has become so convenient and fast that it is becoming widely used by many institutions, especially since the covid-19 pandemic. This keeps both the teachers and their students indoors.
Writers and editors
These are highly demanding jobs that require good attention while researching, editing, and proofreading.
So, the possibility of moving out more often is automatically ruled out, which compels such people to stay indoors continuously, with small breaks, often for weeks or even months on end.
Conclusion
It is clear the groups mentioned above and many others not included in this article are either forced to or are just opting to stay indoors.
But there are effects of staying indoors for long. While many will argue that staying indoors gives you ample time to organize yourself and focus on the things that matter, it is evident that staying indoors for much longer than usual may have a drastic impact on both physical and mental health. Insomnia, aggressiveness, irritability, decreased body immunity, increased metabolic disease cases, and deteriorated social life are common problems in modern society.
We advise you to read our in-depth article where we analyze all these negative effects of spending too much time indoors.
Sources
[1] Indoor time–microenvironment–activity patterns in seven regions of Europe: https://www.nature.com/articles/7500490
[2] The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants: https://www.nature.com/articles/7500165
[3] 40% OF BRITS SPEND JUST 15 MINUTES OUTDOORS EACH DAY: https://www.hrreview.co.uk/hr-news/strategy-news/40-of-brits-spend-just-15-minutes-outdoors-each-day/111130
[4] America's Coming Workplace: Home Alone: https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/206033/america-coming-workplace-home-alone.aspx
