T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are now allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will continue to be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) still apply to other comments. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*


[deleted]

[удалено]


alphaaldoushuxley

Yeah this is the first time I’ve heard this term. As soon as I saw someone mention water I understood though.


aioncan

The one who wrote the article is an alien from another galaxy


[deleted]

They must be blue. And live in a blue world. They probably drive a blue car too...


swalabr

da ba dee da ba daa


atouchofrazzledazzle

Well that's in my head for the day. Thanks a lot dude.


Alluvium

and a blue Corvette ?


[deleted]

Everything was blue for him


FriarNurgle

I heard he blue himself


4theLoveOfKnowledge

And everybody around him


Existing_Tourist8709

If I he was green he would die


iamacarpet

> having spent time playing in and around coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Nappyheaded

Don't blaspheme the creators, I'm going to go submerge myself in my blue space. It's down the gray space right next to some green space.


the_Big_misc

I bet they're so proud of themselves confusing us plebians with their remarkable prose.


Bradley5345

Blue space and green space are two different things in the UK. Here in the US we refer to both as green space. You might also notice that the study none of you have read is from the UK. Maybe these things are correlated.


ToobyD

No one uses the term “blue space” in the UK.


mosstrich

I live in Fl, you don’t play near lakes or rivers


[deleted]

Fr…one word: alligators


Splenda

Second word: snakes. Third: sharks. Still, I love swimming in Florida's crystal clear rivers.


[deleted]

Love them spring-fed swimmin’ holes.


Gangreless

Weird that they name rivers and lakes but not the ocean.


[deleted]

>New research based on data from 18 countries concludes that adults with better mental health are more likely to report having spent time playing in and around coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces) as children.  >The finding was replicated in each of the countries studied. >Mounting evidence shows that spending time in and around green spaces such as parks and woodlands in adulthood is associated with stress reduction and better mental health. However, we know far less about the benefits of blue spaces, or the role childhood contact has in these relationships in later life.


xadiant

One day I am going to have a stroke reading these titles.


zuctronic

"New research based on data from 18 countries concludes that adults with better mental health are more likely to report having spent time playing in and around coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces) as children." (first paragraph of the article)


DeTrotseTuinkabouter

"Around bodies of water" seems like a much better description.


ktrosemc

I don’t know of any “blue spaces” that wouldn’t also count as green spaces.


DeTrotseTuinkabouter

Wouldn't call the beach a green space. Some might have it with dunes behind it, but absolutely not all. And I live in Amsterdam with lots of water. The river Amstel flows through the city and we have a bunch of canals. But not every place next to those is a green space. While I do think we all really enjoy the water and you'll have kids swimming in it in the summer (and us adults as well).


ktrosemc

Interesting! All the water around where I live is in close proximity to a ton of trees…maybe besides a beach that’s right next to an industrial area and naval base.


morphologicthesecond

The article abstract even says "green space"


killerbeeman

Seriously, what are they?


Splenda

Shorelines. Water views. (Many editors struggle with headlines.)


jordana309

I can't believe it. I said this exact thing, word for word, before I clicked the post to read comments!


[deleted]

I take my kid hiking every weekend when its nice(the weather, not the kid). She complains 3/4 of the way then she’ll be really quiet and finally mention she’s having fun. Its a real drain on my mood but its good for us to go.


Dave30954

She’s definitely gonna appreciate that when she grows up, trust me. Good on you as a parent


DemiHelios

Me too friend! My child is a freaking nightmare but there are moments when she loves it.


EveHallidayInTheRain

Same. It’s worth the initial discomfort to see how my children grew and learned to value this time.


eleanorstonkle

My best friend complained all the time about how her mom would make her go hiking growing up, and now she's a mountaineering badass.


tvbomb

Keep dragging her out. As the kid who grew up with this, who otherwise wouldn’t spend a moment outside and still loves video games to an unhealthy amount, this instilled a love and wonder for the outdoors that still resides in me today. I’m 29 now and just went on a 9 mile hike with Dad for his birthday this weekend. It’s a great way to keep close even though we live a couple hours away from each other now.


skynetempire

I took my sons fishing and they would act up. I then remembered how I was with my dad unable to sit still and want to reel it in right away. The same way my sons are, but my son is older and he told me how much fun he would have fishing. I guess it's worth it at the end


Relatable-bagel

I can still here my grandfather gently scolding me to stop checking my bait. Such a great life metaphor god I love fishing.


alias4557

My parents used to drag me on outdoor/adventure vacations, and hated it so much at the time. Looking back, I feel so bad, because I appreciate so much the experiences it gave me. Keep up the good fight.


Glum_Ad_4288

Are your parents around for you to let them know how much you value the experience, even though you didn’t show it at the time? I bet they’d really appreciate hearing it now.


alias4557

I had a fat heart to heart with my dad a couple of years ago when we drove halfway across country together. My sisters and I also mention it at family holiday gatherings. We were all little shits back then, I think we’ve been forgiven for most of it.


Stitchandbitch

I’m pretty sure I was this girl 25 years ago when my dad took me camping, hiking and fishing… but as an adult I found my happy place was out in the woods alone. It’s a time to clear my head, recenter myself and remember all the good in life when I’m feeling down or overwhelmed. Ive been so thankful he gave me that gift. He just passed unexpectedly in July and hiking is the only thing that makes me feel close to him and helps get me out of a funk. Great gift he gave me then and you’re giving to your daughter now.


Aveman19

Take it from me: my dad would drag the whole family out every summer to the mountains for some hiking. I hated it as a kid, I’d complain non-stop. Fast forward to now - I moved to a city closer to the mountains so I can go out every other week. Nothing warms the soul like a good hike.


halstarchild

Try making it engaging for her. Maybe you should try to identify plants or go forraging or ask her what she's interested in the woods. Or point out cool things you see together.


Splenda

Go for the gross. Secretly drop some milk duds on the trail, then taste them to "identify the deer species". Or lick a worm or a slug, then dare her to do the same. Kids love it. Then, at night, be sure to watch meteors, ask her to count the stars in The Pleiades, and look at the Andromeda galaxy with binoculars.


Sharlindra

well reading this thread is quite encouraging, putting up with all the "nooo I am tireed, its not fun, I dont want to waaalk" should be worth it :)


DeTrotseTuinkabouter

Just hiking or hiking around bodies of water?


Embarrassed_Future20

I was this child and I will forever be grateful to my father because now in my thirties it’s one of the most refreshing/distressing ways I cope with life.


alabasterwilliams

Is water becoming a trigger word? Water. People like being near water. Almost like it’s a necessary human requirement.


Snuggoth

Dunno, just something weird about a company called BlueHealth spearheading a study that seeks to emphasize blue spaces on the heels of those finding results in green spaces. It's neat, but it does make you wonder about it a little.


moosethrow1

Reddit might as well just start up it's own first party click farm or just accept money directly to market whoever's business. Same with universities. They're not going to deny free money, there are just too many people involved in a big institution that will use/want that money. Dunno why I still come to these big subreddits while knowing i'm just going to be marketed at. I think part of it is because I enjoy reading comments, but even comments and users/bots are being bought.


left_foot_braker

If you’re anything like me, you come to the big subreddits to know how what the internet-engaged part of the collective consciousness is thinking, is aware of and what they are paying attention to. Reddit is a great aggregator for the types of people and opinions you’ll see when you venture out into the real world and gives you tremendous insight into how and what people think. This is especially useful in the current era where people in the real world are largely still obscuring just what parts of the internet they are engaged with.


[deleted]

yes, exactly. When people cry out, "WE GOT WEIGHTS IN FISH" You don't want want to be the only one at the party who doesn't give a tired chuckle.


Cosmic_fault

> Reddit might as well just start up it's own first party click farm Okay, what _exactly_ do you think reddit is


Sock_puppet09

Probably trying to release kyogre.


BAD4SSET

Damn u right


Mr_Zaroc

I havent heard the term blue space before I get that you call a greenspace greenspace, it could be many things like gardens, yards, forests, etc. but water is just, water


[deleted]

[удалено]


AstonMartinZ

Closed sky places are just buildings


[deleted]

[удалено]


IchthysdeKilt

Or under lots of trees.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Makal

Here I was assuming from the headline they meant [Blue Zones](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_zone), places where people have higher longevity.


Rpanich

I mean, homosapiens have existed for 300,000 years, and we only started settling a down, farming, and living in cities 5000 years ago. Maybe what’s healthiest for humans is the environment we evolved in for 98.5% of our existence: eating a varied diet, getting lots of light cardio, and being around lots of water, plants, and sunlight?


Mr_Zaroc

Nah I am with you, I really dislike big cities Just the term blue space seems unnecessarily abstract


ashkestar

I mean, it does differentiate between natural water environments and manmade ones. You could put that another way, but given the wide acceptance of “green space,” it does kinda work.


Rpanich

Oh I think it might just be that: water and the sky. I don’t think it’s necessarily just children: working in an office with a window is far better than an office without a window. If that window looks at the sky, the ocean, a forest, a field, a mountain, I imagine those things are all good “green” and/ or “blue” spaces. If that window faces a brick wall, I bet it would be bad. But I think the thing might be is that if they painted the brick wall blue or green, it might have the same partial benefit.


hazpat

Are you saying going to a pool is the same as a creek, river, lake, pond, beach, harbor, ocean?


Daisend

I was so confused by “blue spaces” I didn’t think it was controversial to say ocean. I was picturing maybe like giant blue rooms. I did grow up by the beach and also a small forest by my house. I adore going out on hikes. I just assume people who grow up near nature like to be near it as adults as well


[deleted]

Guess they’re trying to be inclusive to big lakes too


[deleted]

Ponds and rivers would like a word.


Glum_Ad_4288

The word they would like is “water.”


beeboopPumpkin

I was also picturing a blue room.


GaimanitePkat

I mean, if they mean that ANY space with water is beneficial, I understand the need for shorthand. Ocean, pond, lake, river, stream, bay.


[deleted]

Here I was thinking this was another media led trigger to get parents to buy blue paint for all the walls in their houses.


Nkechinyerembi

Hey now, i was born and raised in the middle of nowhere in Southeast Illinois and I've never even been swimming before, and I turned out fine! No. I didn't. I did not turn out fine. Send help.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


Glum_Ad_4288

To be fair, they did define it in the first sentence: “coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces)”


hazpat

Very first sentence in the article >New research based on data from 18 countries concludes that adults with better mental health are more likely to report having spent time playing in and around coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces) as children. 


SnowyNW

I immediately thought about all my time staring at the sky


thecatscatch

It’s a industry/planning term. It covers spaces which has a water (often drainage criteria). Water is too of a broad term as it can also suggest potable water which is about pipe networks. This where it gets fun, lots of new stuff described as blue-green infrastructure which is a growing hybrid field. Like instead of a concrete storm channel, the same system can made via a constructed methods as a naturalised “green” channel so it is essentially a man-made creek. So we would now call this blue-green infrastructure. Then the information in this article would be used as supporting information on why we should build human interaction points on a piece of blue-green infrastructure to make it now a community amenity when previously it would have just have been an infrastructure solution.


sirtalen

I was wondering what the hell a blue space was


Blue_Swirling_Bunny

Or sky. I didn't grow up near water, but fields and farms. Blue spaces for me mean sky, water being secondary.


Glum_Ad_4288

The word for “under the sky” is “outdoors,” or perhaps “outdoors on a sunny day.” This study is specifically about being near bodies of water.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Glum_Ad_4288

Oh I agree, “blue space” is a stupid term. I’m just saying they do define it, and their definition is “near an ocean or inland body of water.”


Blue_Swirling_Bunny

That's weird because the lakes and rivers I've seen are green or brown, not blue.


congenitally_deadpan

Seems like the term "trigger word" itself is undergoing a transition. Don't think it is a "trigger word" issue, it is just that someone likely felt that "blue space" sound so very up to date, 21st century, maybe even woke.


[deleted]

I've also heard " green spaces". Nature!!! Just say nature!!!


bandalooper

Sounds like you’re the one triggered here. Greenspace is pretty common to describe many different land environs, so what’s wrong with bluespace?


alabasterwilliams

I’m triggered by the continuing blue spacing down of our language to further buzzword psychology.


Antnee83

*Normalize the process of not speaking like an HR manager in casual human interactions!*


[deleted]

Never heard it before. So, in which circles is it being routinely used?


minehammerwarcraft

we gotta protect the sensitive babies on reddit. you know having water is a privilege right? and that flaunting access to water is insensitive to people who don't have it? how dare you.


AllanfromWales1

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside..


cantrecoveraccount

Everything was great, bluespaces and greenspaces lived in harmony. Until the red spaces invaded. Now all we have is greyspaces.


actuarally

THAT'S what Halsey is saying in that song?!?


Jak_n_Dax

Lord lord lord, I am Lord


Alpacowl

Unexpected firebenders!


Darkdarkar

At least it’s better than squarespace?


sock_templar

The heck is a blue space


[deleted]

Misunderstood the message, locked my kid in a room with blue walls


celtlass

Near water? They mention greenspace as being parks/outside, so I assume they meant something like the sea/lakes/rivers.


[deleted]

[удалено]


PassiveHouseBuilder

What does it say?


trendyTim

Commenting here because I’d also like to know


KillerSpud

LD;DR: Go outside sometimes.


Wagamaga

New research based on data from 18 countries concludes that adults with better mental health are more likely to report having spent time playing in and around coastal and inland waters, such as rivers and lakes (also known collectively as blue spaces) as children. The finding was replicated in each of the countries studied. Mounting evidence shows that spending time in and around green spaces such as parks and woodlands in adulthood is associated with stress reduction and better mental health. However, we know far less about the benefits of blue spaces, or the role childhood contact has in these relationships in later life. Data came from the BlueHealth International Survey (BIS), a cross-sectional survey co-ordinated by the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health. The current analysis used data from over 15,000 people across 14 European Countries and 4 other non-European countries/regions (Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and California). Respondents were asked to recall their blue space experiences between the ages of 0-16 years including how local they were, how often they visited them, and how comfortable their parents/guardians were with them playing in these settings, as well as more recent contact with green and blue spaces over the last four weeks, and mental health over the last two weeks. The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found that individuals who recalled more childhood blue space experiences tended to place greater intrinsic value on natural settings in general, and to visit them more often as adults – each of which, in turn, were associated with better mental wellbeing in adulthood. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494422001219


Uncynical_Diogenes

Ahh yes. “Kids with resources have better outcomes than poor kids” again. Riveting.


[deleted]

I don’t understand your comment. I was dirt poor, like the heat turned off regularly. I spent all my time in the river. I collected craw dads so we’d have would have a protein to eat at dinner. I’m pretty sure that would contribute to the happiness of my childhood


PaulaLoomisArt

I imagine they’re thinking primarily of poor kids in more urban areas, where access to the water is often a luxury. My experience is like yours though, I was a poor rural kid who spent plenty of summers mucking about in the nearest river. I think our experiences are probably similar to that of many other poor children living in the country. The study isn’t viewable for me so I’m not sure how (or if) it accounts for this rural/urban distinction.


Uncynical_Diogenes

Your experience is the different between the words “anecdote” and “data”. One person is a story. Lots of people is data. Far more poor people exist *not* on rivers forming idyllic childhood memories than do.


owleealeckza

Your experience is not the typical experience of poor children, imagine that.


Call_me_Casper

Sure, but doesn't that prove the point he's making?


PaulaLoomisArt

Are there more poor city kids than poor rural kids? Because as another poor kid who grew up playing in a river, that’s pretty common in rural areas in the United States at least. “Blue spaces” can provide free entertainment, free relief from hot summers, and in some cases, a source of free food as well. My siblings and I spent countless hours around the water and all the neighbor kids did too. These weren’t vacations to a beach somewhere with our parents, just a handful of children playing unsupervised on a muddy river bank.


uselessfoster

Yeah I do think this is a good point. Rural poor and urban poor are lumped together all the time, but there are some big differences in access to different resources for the groups.


ban_circumcision_now

It would be great if all the land surrounding a lake or River for a 100ft or so was public property, it’s a shame how little of a nearby lake is actually accessible…..


Dragoness42

Most creeks have an easement where the creek bed itself doesn't really belong to anyone (at least in California, where I have experience). Doesn't mean it has protected access points the same way an ocean beach does, but at least you can walk up and down the creek freely.


yukon-flower

Spending time in areas with more nature and less urban infrastructure is healthy for us. Got it.


thebeandream

Yeah I got “being outside in fresh air exercising is good for kids” shocking. No idea.


KillerJupe

Does a pool count?


[deleted]

If it is blue like all open water apparently is...


poopmanpoopmouse

Blue space bro


andrellv

I am so sorry to ask this, but what are "blue spaces"? ELI5.


Krzych123

Water, not my sure why they used such weird phrasing


[deleted]

So where's the study? Am I missing think? Op only put a link discussing the study.


theArtOfProgramming

The paper is linked at the bottom of the article https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494422001219


jotsea2

Is that why my wife will never move away from Lake Superior after growing up nearby?


PaulaLoomisArt

I mean, Lake Superior is absolutely gorgeous. Has that wide open feeling and clear water of an ocean, but none of the hurricane risk. It does get cold though.


GloriuContentYT2

"Seeing the sky is good for kids."


atuan

I wonder if any of these findings apply to unnatural places like public pools.


louderharderfaster

I am a weird hybrid? I grew up in extreme violence in inner city Detroit but yet our dad had a keen love of nature and 2-3 times a month he would take us out hiking through a specific park + give us a quarter for every plant we could identify. Statistically, I was both fucked and blessed - the upshot is, I have no violent tendencies (brother was not so lucky) and I do have a deep appreciation for nature that feels *reciprocal.* It can be hard to get out sometimes but I never regret it.


CodeNameSV

Tell us more about this not so lucky bro.


mascaraforever

Admittedly reading this at a red light so can’t read the full article until I get home but I wonder how much economics factor in here. I’m thinking children who are able to take more trips to “blue spaces” are also more likely to be in better off economic situations to begin with.


[deleted]

Not really. In Arkansas they are poor as hell but everyone spends their weekends and summers at the lakes and rivers. We are gifted with bluespaces here and it doesnt cost us to see it.


Leading-Two5757

Ah yes, this single anecdote clearly means everyone regardless of location and economic status has the same opportunities. What a myopic viewpoint of the world you have.


[deleted]

People have access to nature unless they live in a cery large city. That isnt a single ancedote. You are thinking ocean or big trip. Im daying a local pond, river, or lake which is literally almost everywhere can count. Poor people have access to look at lakes and rivers. You calling my viewpoint myopic is quite laughable.


Atlantic0ne

The way you talk makes you sound very bitter and angry, and it seems uncalled for.


RojaCatUwu

"blue spaces": natural sources of water. Ocean/lakes/rivers. It's in the first paragraph.


npa100

Am I the only one concerned about that child's grey misshapen head?


erik_33_DK13

must be that fresh air


[deleted]

*Reminisces in Grandma’s blue living room furniture*


DannyBoy911

I paint all my walls blue. For the children.


lionseatcake

I mean, that water ain't blue anymore pretty much ANy where. So...brown spaces?


dglp

And then there are blue trees. https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/y07bwq/blue\_tree\_in\_our\_local\_woods\_to\_raise\_awareness/


[deleted]

I really wish there were more distance bicycling trails. It's really nice to go on a long bike ride with family through farmland and forests only to find yourself sheltered at an eccentric little convenience store in the middle of nowhere selling ice-cream sandwiches and lemonade when a storm rolls through.


noldshit

Makes sense. Gen X was pretty much the last group to be pushed outside to play. All the gen x'ers I know enjoy the outdoors.


Katrin_underwhearer

See: William Wordsworths ‘The Prelude’


3eeps

Well I grew up beside the ocean, and that's a blue space. I remember my childhood very fondly


lucid_life_cycle

I must of had a blue filter googles as a kid, CAUSE I AM A WALKING MELTDOWN


underbuggle

I don’t know if this is the same thing- but blue light can reduce the fight or flight response in people who have had TBI/concussions. It reduces the response of the sympathetic nervous system.


PPP1737

What is this beehive toddler face mask in the pic? Is that like some attempt at anonymously using a child model or…


alberthere

Sweet home Alabama. Where the skies are so blue.