Generational Divide: Teens Spending Less than Half the Time their Parents did
on Outdoor Activities
ParticipACTION Teen Challenge encourages teens to #BeAnOutsider and get moving outdoors
TORONTO (ON) October 13, 2015 – A new study of Canadian parents and teens found that teens are
spending only 7.9 hours per week being active outdoors - less than half of the 17.5 hours their parents
spent participating in outdoor activities just a generation earlier.
The survey, conducted by Hill + Knowlton Perspectives, points to growing motivational and cultural
barriers to explain why teens are spending more time indoors. Sixty per cent of parents identified
interest in indoor activities such as video games and social media as the leading barrier to getting their
teens outside, followed by the influence of the teen’s friends. Lack of opportunity and infrastructure
were key secondary barriers cited, including access to activities and the high cost of organized sports.
Only one in five survey respondents said they place a high priority on spending time being active
outdoors as a family.
“Regular physical activity, including time spent being active outdoors, can help teens reduce the risk of
chronic disease, make friends, improve self-esteem, confidence and mental health, and even improve
concentration and their grades. Unfortunately, only five per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds are getting the
60 minutes of heart-pumping movement they need each day,” says Elio Antunes, President and CEO of
ParticipACTION, a national non-profit organization that helps Canadians sit less and move more.
In response, ParticipACTION Teen Challenge sponsored by Coca-Cola Canada has launched the
#BeAnOutsider challenge. From October 5 to November 6, teens and community organizations who
Tweet or Instagram a photo of themselves getting active outdoors with the hashtag #BeAnOutsider will
be entered to win weekly prizes including Canadian Tire gift cards and ParticipACTION prize packs. For
more information, visit http://beanoutsider.tumblr.com.
Despite the decline in time spent outdoors, 90 per cent of the parents surveyed agreed that being active
outdoors is very good for the mental and physical health of teens. The recent ParticipACTION Report
Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth found that people who are more connected to nature
tend to be happier1. Positive experiences at a young age can foster nature connectedness and influence
behaviours like time spent outdoors and participation in heart-pumping physical activities.
Teens who participated in the survey understood the benefits of outdoor activity and appreciated the
outdoors as an escape, but also for spending time with friends and being competitive and active.
“Being outside is different. There’s competitiveness, but it can also take the edge off from school or
work,” said Shantaro, 18, from Toronto, ON.
1
The Biggest Risk is Keeping Kids Indoors. The ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and
Youth. Toronto: ParticipACTION. URL: http://www.participaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-ReportCard-Full-Report-EN-FINAL.pdf. 2015: 41.
“[Outdoor activities with family] give time to think and talk about everything,” said Riley, 14 from St.
Albert, AB.
“There are so many green areas here, but there isn’t always something to do with them. Having games
and sports available would be fun,” said Connor, 14 from Red Deer, AB.
ParticipACTION Teen Challenge provides microgrants of up to $500 for 13-19 year-olds to get physically
active in their communities through programs that the teens help design themselves. The grants have
paid for everything from basketball coaches to breakdancing instructors, pedometers for a walking club,
transportation to ski hills, prizes for leadership events, tournament entrance fees and necessary
equipment, such as Kin-Balls, kayak rentals or team jerseys. To date, ParticipACTION Teen Challenge has
encouraged over 400,000 teens and 5,000 community organizations to work together to design local
activities.
“There’s a clear need for programs like the ParticipACTION Teen Challenge to help youth find the
resources and tools to be active in their community,” says Yolanda Dasselaar, Senior Manager of
Company and Category Sustainability at Coca-Cola Ltd.
ParticipACTION Teen Challenge is funded by a 10-year, $10 million commitment from Coca-Cola Canada,
and is delivered through a unique network of 13 provincial-territorial coordinating organizations, which
in turn support community organizations at the local level.
For more information about ParticipACTION Teen Challenge, sponsored by Coca-Cola Canada, including
over 500 local teen success stories, please visit www.participaction.com/teen-challenge.
-30About ParticipACTION
ParticipACTION is a national non-profit organization that helps Canadians sit less and move more. Originally
established in 1971, ParticipACTION works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation
organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to make physical activity a vital part of everyday life.
ParticipACTION is generously supported by the Government of Canada. For more information, please visit
www.participaction.com.
About Coca-Cola Canada
Coca-Cola in Canada operates in all ten provinces, and employs 6,300 people in more than 50 facilities, including
seven production facilities across Canada. We offer a wide variety of beverage brands, many of which come in nocalorie and low-calorie options. These beverages include sparkling soft drinks, still waters, juices and fruit
beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks and ready-to-drink teas. We’re proud to offer some of the most popular
brands in Canada including Coca-Cola®, Diet Coke®, Coca-Cola Zero®, Sprite®, Fanta®, Nestea®, PowerAde®, Minute
Maid®, Dasani® and vitaminwater®. Coca-Cola in Canada is represented by Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada and
Coca-Cola Ltd. For more information about our Company, please visit www.coca-cola.ca or www.thecocacolacompany.com.
On social media:
Twitter: @CocaColaCo_CA; @ParticipACTION
Facebook.com/ParticipACTIONTeenChallenge
#BeAnOutsider
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
H+K Contact Info
Katherine Janson
ParticipACTION
W: (416) 913-1471
M: (647) 717-8674
kjanson@participACTION.com
Shannon Denny
Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada
W: (416) 424-6373
M: (647) 637-2574
sdenny@coca-cola.com