What has caused the rise in anxiety among US kids? (It's not smartphones or social media.)
PETER GRAY
Peter examines the deeper systemic and societal factors driving the rise of serious mental health problems in US children, challenging the narrative that smartphones and social media are the primary culprits.
Peter Gray is a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College who has conducted and published research in behavioral biology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education. He is author of an internationally acclaimed introductory psychology textbook (Psychology, Worth Publishers, editions 1-6), which views all of psychology from an evolutionary perspective. Much of his research focuses on the role of play in human evolution and how children educate themselves through play and exploration, when they are free to do so. He has expanded on these ideas in his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life (Basic Books), which has been translated into 18 languages. He also authors a blog called Freedom to Learn, for Psychology Today magazine and a Substack series entitled Play Makes Us Human. He is one of the founders of the nonprofit Let Grow, the mission of which is to renew childrenā€™s freedom to play and explore independently of adult control. You can follow him on Facebook and find many of his published articles on his website.
