Less Play Time = More Troubled Kids, Experts Say

U.S. News reports that "Adult interference may deprive children of needed challenges, not to mention fun". According to this article researchers have found that children today have far less time to play outdoors than children did 50 years ago, which may have serious consequences on their development and mental health. The article states that since the 1950's adults have played a much larger role in their children's activities having a detrimental effect on their mental health by not allowing them the basic competencies ultimately needed to become adults acquired through free play. Surveys reflect that the parent's fears of abduction, worries about kids getting hit by cars and bullies are keeping kids indoors.

I agree with this article and can see how the lack of free play can have a detrimental effect on a child's development. At the same time I also disagree that children should be allowed to go outside unsupervised in today's society.

While in the 1950's children were allowed to go outside unsupervised, today that wouldn't be acceptable. The article talks about the differences in free play from the 50's to now but doesn't talk about the increase in crimes and the changes in laws over the years. I wouldn't let my four year old go outside unsupervised. Maybe that is because of a fear of abduction or getting hit by a car, really anything can happen. I think that these fears existed in the 50's but they weren't as prevalent. My kids don't play outside near as often as I did when I was a child. If I was inside my parents wanted to know why I wasn't outside playing. But when I was a child we lived in the middle of nowhere on a farm and the odds of something happening were much less, I now live on a busy street in the middle of town and am not comfortable letting my four year old play outside unsupervised.

I feel like the research should have gone more in depth on the changes in crimes and laws regarding children, not just showing research about how children not being allowed to go outside and have free play is detrimental to their development and mental health.