Translation: Joseph Polidoro, on December 4, 2023
A Decline in Unsupervised Activity May Contribute to Declining Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
Overwhelming evidence suggests that withdrawing opportunities for children to engage in independent activity can prevent them from learning how to be independent, leading to anxiety, depression, fear of the future, and all the issues we are witnessing now.
Declining Mental Health in Children and Adolescents
A steady decline in mental health among children and adolescents has been recorded between 2010 and 2020. By 2019, suicide became the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 10 to 24.
Independent Play and Its Impact on Mental Health
Peter Gray, a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, states that play and other independent activities have long-term effects on children’s mental health and resilience.
Internal Control and Mental Health
Peter Gray and his team point to evidence that a decline in internal control contributes to decreasing mental health. They note that children who are able to make decisions and solve problems exercise what is called an “internal locus of control,” where they feel they have control over their experiences and lives.
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, indicates that increased use of social media has coincided with rising rates of depression among adolescents. She notes a radical change in how teenagers spend their daily lives, with more time spent on screens and less time with friends and sleeping.
Necessary Interventions
Research suggests that several factors contribute to the decline of mental health in children and adolescents, including psychological support for children suffering from mental health difficulties and improving conditions for building secure attachments in childhood. The minimum age for owning a social media account could also be raised to 16 years and enforcement of this age limit should be implemented. Additionally, we must change the way we think about mental health and focus on improving conditions for establishing secure attachments in childhood while providing opportunities for independence, choice, peer interactions, and individual growth for children under the age of 18.
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