Having grown up in the 70s and 80s, and who is just finishing up raising a kid in the 2010s/2020s (he's 15), I think I have some nuance on this view. While I wo

Having grown up in the 70s and 80s, and who is just finishing up raising a kid in the 2010s/2020s (he's 15), I think I have some nuance on this view. While I worry about the lower amount of unstructured play my son had, he did have tons of structured/semi-structured play that I would have loved. Sure, I ran around the woods, but he was able to go on all sorts of adventures through various camps that I never got to do. I mean, I guess being bored out of my fucking mind most of the summer and doing stupid shit was helpful, but it wasn't some pinnacle of education. My son at age 11 took at digital media camp thing and walked around interviewing people at different locations and making little videos. That was pretty cool and seems kind of educational. Plus, I know at least 3 people that were kids when I was a kid, within several years, that are now disabled adults because of that unstructured play. Two broke their necks, one broke so many bones they were in a wheelchair for several years. I know probably half a dozen kids that were hit by cars in some form. Several kids dead by drunk driving. So that unstructured play isn't without cost. There are other tradeoffs, too. I know several kids that are raised more unstructured because of their specific situation, and they have a lot of social and physical confidence, but they are also kinda dumb. Like they lack intellectual curiosity. Anecdotal, I know, but I just don't think things are as clear as they make it out to be. My son's playgrounds were still fairly dangerous, so I think the pendulum has started swinging back. When he was 6-9 or so, his favorite two playground stuctures were a 15' tall climbing tower, and the old school metal merri-go-round thing. Oh, and one elementary school had two huge play structures made of wood with all kinds of tunnels and nooks and crannies, he had tons of fun with that with his friends. What I mostly missed with him is his ability to just go outside and play with a bunch of kids - there is a negative feedback loop where even if you want your kid to do that, there are no other kids out there in many places. Plus there are just not many interesting "third spaces" anymore that are fun for kids but also ok for them to be kids.