The Inner Life of a Modern Child

The average childhood in America looks much different than it did generations ago. Modern advances have provided us with increased life expectancies, easier access to education, and improved transportation has made us able to connect and visit others much more efficiently.  However, these benefits haven’t come without a cost. Childhood has become faster paced, more structured and for many children, overwhelming, which raises an important question: how has this rapid shift impacted the child psyche? 

Loss of Unstructured Time

While most would agree, having a child engaged in extracurricular activities outside of school is beneficial, when does it become too much? 

The average child today experiences a much more structured schedule than ever before. After school, many are pulled from one sport to another, activity to activity, from tutor to tutor, leaving little free time. As Dr. Lonzer, a pediatrician for over 20 years notes, “Kids whose time is overly organized don’t have time to be kids, and their family doesn’t have time to be a family”. This level of structure can lead to increased stress levels, withdrawing socially and the things they once were passionate about no longer interest them.

When there are those few moments of unstructured time, many children are given a tablet or some form of screen to occupy their attention. This shift matters because screen time does not fulfill the same kind of engagement that unstructured play can provide. A meta-analysis found that during COVID restrictions, children and adolescents spent on average 84 minutes more daily in front of screens (Madigan et al., 2022). These increases didn’t simply go away once restrictions ended, but instead became commonplace.

For each additional hour of screen time, the risk of obesity increases 13% and can also lead to other issues such as increases in blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol levels (Priftis & Panagiotakos, 2023). Psychologically speaking, we have seen links between higher screen time and increased rates of depression and anxiety, as well as greater likelihood of needing mental health services or medications, (Twenge & Campbell, 2018). 

So not only are children experiencing increased rigidity with scheduling, but free time is often filled with screen time instead of rest or play. So how can we help?

The Power of Play

One thing that is missing from the average child’s life is unstructured play. Boredom is not something that we should avoid as sometimes, our psyches need “down-time” to process what we have experienced, to think through the problems of the day, or to simply not be overwhelmed with information.

Instead of erasing downtime, we can work on structuring in some unstructured time! When children are given space without rigid direction, they often move towards creativity or engaging with their imagination. A challenge that they can’t “think through” can then be expressed through drawing, building or movement. For children, even incorporating 20-30 minutes of daily creative free time can be very beneficial. Within appropriate limits, this time allows the child to build their autonomy while also giving expression to their internal emotional states. These activities could look like playing outside, drawing, building with LEGOS, or any other form that allows the creative aspects of the child to shine.  

While it may look simple on the surface, play “is a vital and indispensable activity for human development, as it contributes relevantly to psychomotor, intellectual, social, and affective-emotional development” (Landazabal 2003). When we don’t provide the opportunities for play, these key areas of development may be restricted. 

Speaking with children about what they enjoy and providing this space in their day can help restore a healthier balance. Over time, perhaps it can become a family activity, one that will help strengthen family dynamics and relationships as well.

About the Author

Thanks for reading! My name is Christian Arbogast, and I am a Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern at Incremental Care. I work primarily with children, adolescents, and teens who feel overwhelmed or struggle navigating their emotions.

My approach incorporates expressive modalities such as sandtray and somatic therapy, helping clients process experiences in ways that go beyond words. If you’re interested in learning more or considering starting your therapeutic journey, I would be honored to walk alongside you.

Feel free to reach out at chris@incrementalcare.com or 407-279-0468 to schedule a free, no obligation 20-minute consultation.

Resources

Cleveland Clinic. (2018, July 16). Is your child overscheduled? Kids need down time. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-your-child-overscheduled-kids-need-down-time

Landazabal, MG (2003). Psychological intervention to develop children's personality: Play, prosocial behavior and creativity . Pirámide Editions.

Madigan, S., Eirich, R., Pador, P., McArthur, B. A., & Neville, R. D. (2022). Assessment of changes in child and adolescent screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(12), 1188–1198. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4116

Priftis, N., & Panagiotakos, D. (2023). Screen time and its health consequences in children and adolescents. Children, 10(10), 1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10101665

Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K., & colleagues. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003