The Decline of Play and Rise of Mental Disorders
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The Decline of Play and Rise of Mental Disorders

The Decline of Play and Rise of Mental Disorders

“The Decline of Play and Rise of Mental Disorders” by Peter Gray TEDxNavesink is a TED Editor’s Pick this week.

Peter and I are both fans of the Sudbury Valley School in Framingham MA. We both wrote about the school in the 90s (my book, Schools for Growth). We’re also both commentators at Psychology Today. Peter’s column is Freedom to Learn; mine is A Conceptual Revolution. TEDxNavesink was the first time we met face to face. He’s a lovely person and serious scholar passionate about play.

2 Comments
  • loisholzman
    Posted at 12:53h, 18 August

    Beautifully said, Lonny. I especially like your phrase “incidential encounters with joy.”

  • Lonny Meinecke
    Posted at 19:12h, 13 August

    This is wonderful Lois — thanks so much. How could we come to this point in time where we promote “learned anxiety” in our children? As our own world becomes overpopulated with “solutions”, and we require that innocent children account for their use of free time as though building a portfolio as future laborers — have we provisioned this exponentiation of urgency, apathy, depression, and helplessness? It seems such an easy fix — relax our own anxious expectations of our children and let them be children. Maybe we will become the learners and play “Kick the Can” again from time to time, just for fun? No one should have to anxiously explain incidental encounters with joy. Thanks so much.

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