Restoring Childhood

This week’s summary is an episode of the Lifelong Kindergarten podcast, featuring an interview with developmental psychologist Peter Gray about factors beyond technology that may be contributing to rising levels of anxiety, stress, and depression among young people. (Thanks to Melissa Scott for sharing this podcast with me!)

Using his new book Restoring Childhood (which I’m currently reading) as a reference, Gray challenges the idea that smartphones and social media alone explain today’s youth mental health concerns. While books such as The Anxious Generation and The Digital Delusion place the blame on technology, Gray argues that other significant changes in childhood have been developing for decades.

Atop the list is the decline of unstructured, self-directed play. Since the mid-1950s, increased adult supervision and the growth of structured activities and organized sports have steadily reduced the amount of time children spend playing independently. Gray points out that free play is essential because it gives children opportunities to solve problems, navigate disagreements, take risks, make decisions, and develop resilience and emotional regulation—without an adult immediately stepping in to adjudicate.

Gray also connects the increase in adolescent anxiety beginning around 2010 with changes in education, including increased standardized testing, heightened academic pressure and expectations, and, as a result, reduced recess.

His recommendations to restore childhood are for both parents and educators. For parents, he encourages reducing achievement pressure and making sure children know they are valued for who they are—not simply for what they accomplish in academics and extracurriculars. He also advocates for giving children more time and space away from adult-directed activities.

For teachers, Gray emphasizes creating opportunities for self-directed learning and meaningful student voice and choice. When children have appropriate agency in their learning, they have opportunities to develop intrinsic curiosity, autonomy, and personal and social responsibility.

As we have all experienced, the pendulum regarding technology has shifted dramatically over the past few years. It is important—especially for elementary-aged children—for teachers to be thoughtful about technology use and to maximize face-to-face relationships, conversation, play, and interaction at school.

But Gray’s overall message is that limiting technology is only part of the equation. Giving children appropriate independence and agency—the opportunity to make decisions, solve problems, navigate disagreements, and occasionally struggle without an adult immediately intervening—is just as critical to healthy development.

Perhaps the question for us as educators is not only, “How much technology should children be using?” but also, “Where can we step back so that children have more opportunities to think, choose, solve, and grow for themselves?”

Enjoy the listen!

Joe