Watching Nature on TV can Promote Wellbeing

Exposure to nature through virtual reality can reduce negative emotions and boost wellbeing, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

The study has also shown that experiencing nature in virtual reality could have broader benefits, boosting positive feelings, and improving people's connection to the natural world.

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‘Watching high-quality nature programs on TV could help boost the wellbeing by uplifting people's moods with a positive feeling. ’

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Under laboratory conditions, investigators first induced feelings of boredom in 96 participants by suggesting them to watch a video in which a person defines their work at an office supply company. They then encountered scenes of an underwater coral reef in one of 3 different ways: on TV, in a virtual reality headset using 360o video, and in a virtual reality headset using computer generated interactive graphics.

The team discovered that all viewing methods minimized negative feelings like sadness, as well as significantly decreasing boredom. However, only the interactive virtual reality exposure led to increases in positive feelings, like happiness, and strengthened how connected people felt to nature.

Nicky Yeo, the lead researcher in the study, thinks that the findings could have important connections for populations facing extended periods at home. She said:

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"Our results reveal that simply watching nature on TV could help to lift people's moods and battle boredom. With people around the globe facing limited access to outdoor environments due to COVID-19 lockdown, this study recommends that nature programs might offer an approachable way for populations to benefit from a 'dose' of digital nature."

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Source-Medindia

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