Increases in children’s anxiety and depression may be partly due to decreased independent playtime.If you’re an adult of a certain age, you probably have lots of stories that start with “When I was a kid.
First, it’s important to note that mental health problems in children are indeed on the rise. The authors of thearticle cite a statement issued in 2021 to the Biden administration from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent, and the Children’s Hospital Association, calling mental health in children a national emergency. Research suggests that this increase inmental health problems has been steady over the past several decades.
So children are more anxious and depressed than ever. But is this mental health crisis because children play less on their own? Play is certainly on the decline. Parents report that their children play outside far less than they did, and children are far less likely to walk to school with their friends than in previous years .
This is happening for a number of reasons. Children are spending more time in structured activities in schools and daycares , and, as a result, recess time is decreasing. In fact, a survey of US schools suggests that only 40 percent of schools have a designated policy for outdoor play . Furthermore, children are spending more time on screens, often saying that they prefer electronic games to playing outside .
Gray, P., Lancy, D. F., & Bjorklund, D. F. . Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Well-being: Summary of the Evidence.As the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth.