Kids need lots of unsupervised play outside with other kids, not hours spent in front of screens. From Hannah Frankman Hood at The Epoch Times via zerohedge.com:
Studies suggest that today’s kids get an average of 4–7 minutes of unstructured time outside a day, while they spend 7–8 hours a day in front of screens.
With a youth mental health crisis also sweeping the nation (rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and diagnosed mental health disorders like ADHD are all at record highs), it’s not hard to imagine that the correlation between kids’ indoor confinement and their mental health struggles is more than a coincidence.
The mental health ramifications of too much screen time are easy to track, and are heavily studied. But the downstream effects of not enough time outside are equally startling. Free play and unstructured time are foundational to a child’s well-being, and in America, our kids aren’t getting it.
Seven minutes a day is barely enough time to begin to imagine the premise of a game or an imaginary adventure. Seven minutes a day is barely the amount of time it takes to walk back and forth from the bus stop. It’s not even long enough to go for a walk around the block.
Why Aren’t the Kids Outside?
The twenty-first century has provided us with a perfect storm of conditions keeping kids away from the outdoors: screens are alluring, the outside is “dangerous,” and parents encourage their kids towards sedentary “for your own good” activities (math olympiad! French tutoring! after school clubs!).
Even with early video games we preferred to be outside and playing sports.
Contra used to make me LOL.
The Persian came up to me on after dinner heel and toe!
Always time for kitty.