The science of nature
Nature has long been associated with human wellbeing. Researchers are also exploring how digital experiences of nature can influence the way we feel, focus and relax.
Rebecca L. Mauldin, Christine Highfill, Donna L. Schuman, Stephanie Henderson and Keith A. Anderson reviewed published studies on nature-focused livestreams and subjective well-being in adults. They report emerging evidence of an association, most often described as positive affect or an uplifted mood. The review does not claim that every livestream produces the same outcome.
Original publicationJeffrey C. Skibins, Bhibha M. Das and Gwyneth Schuler analysed 6,968 survey responses from people watching brown-bear webcams. Viewers described self-reported relaxation, reduced stress and a closer felt connection to nature. The findings are based on self-report, in the setting of wildlife webcams, not a clinical trial of a product.
Original publicationPsychologist Dacher Keltner at the University of California, Berkeley, worked with BBC Earth on a multi-country study of brief nature-documentary clips from Planet Earth II. Participants reported increases in emotions such as awe, curiosity and joy, and decreases in feelings such as stress and tiredness, compared with news, drama and a control clip. This was a commissioned media study, not a test of live nature streams.
Berkeley News summaryThese sources describe research on nature, livestreams and nature video in their own contexts. They do not show that VIVIA produces the same effects, and they are not medical advice or a treatment claim.
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