Nature-focused livestreams: Connecting people to nature and to each other.
Keith A Anderson, Rebecca L Mauldin, M Christine Highfill, Donna Schuman, Stephanie Henderson
Author Information
Keith A Anderson: University of Mississippi, Department of Social Work, PO Box 1848, University, MS, 38611, USA. Electronic address: kaander4@olemiss.edu.
Rebecca L Mauldin: University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
M Christine Highfill: Purdue University, Military Family Research Institute, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Donna Schuman: University of Texas at Arlington, School of Social Work, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
Stephanie Henderson: University of Kentucky, Medical Center Library, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA.
Engaging with nature has been found to have a range of benefits across the biopsychosocial and spiritual domains of well-being. Nature-focused livestreams (NFLs) offer an alternative to physically engaging with nature and serve as a window to nature as society has become more urbanized and has increasingly moved indoors. In this brief review, we examine the role of NFLs in connecting people with nature and connecting people with each other. Emerging evidence suggests that NFLs can be effective in doing so, and that feelings of connectedness can, in turn, provide similar benefits found with physical engagement with nature, most notably greater emotional well-being and a sense of community. Future research should rigorously explore the potential of this technology-enhanced platform.
