I'd argue it is play, but not sufficient play. I learned to type by trying to frantically communicate with other players in World of Warcraft. I wasn't trying

I'd argue it is play, but not sufficient play. I learned to type by trying to frantically communicate with other players in World of Warcraft. I wasn't trying to learn to type, any more than a kid playing soccer is trying to develop motor skills, but I learned by exposure. Kids today playing games on an iPad or texting their friends don't think of those things as developing technological fluency or language skills, but that's exactly what it is, and that does matter. It's just that other things matter too. I'd call what you're calling "play" something like "social play". And in this framing the problem is that, by providing more immediately-available and compelling activities than talking with their friends, we're denying the incidental development of social bonds and skills (like negotiating rules or handling conflicts) that kids need. So they're getting play that's heavily focused in one area, rather than the varied exposure that equips them for all the different pieces of life.