In a recent interview with WGBH, Dorsa Amir discussed the evolution of childhood and how industrialization has upended some of its most consistent features.
You can listen to the full interview here.
And read the "three takeaways" here:
"Amir has observed that children in Ecuador enjoy a lot of unstructured play time, much like American kids did in the past. She says that nowadays American children have less control over how they spend their time, but they have found space to explore online. While communicating over the internet may have some benefits, Amir says it’s no replacement for face to face interactions, when it comes to a child’s development.
According to Amir, having friends who are both older and younger is important for a child’s learning. She says that when a child is learning a new skill, it helps them to copy a slightly older child whose abilities are closer to theirs, rather than an experienced adult. But the way classrooms are set up today typically means that kids have friends who are mostly their own age, which Amir says may affect how quickly they can master new concepts.
We all know helicopter parenting has its downsides, but how involved is too involved? Amir says that not allowing a child to have unstructured playtime and not giving kids any independence can potentially contribute to issues with attention, conflict resolution, regulating emotions, and other social skills."
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