Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of Unchanging

Truth.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

Recently, an article in Nautilus magazine touted the benefits of play.

Authors, Susan Maxman and Ivy Ross conclude, quote,

play as universal to our species.

And humans play it positively influences both their cognitive development and their emotional

well-being.

It's especially important for developing what experts have called the Six Seas.

Collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation and confidence.

But today's kids aren't playing as much.

Instead, the generation of human beings with more leisure time than any other moment in

history is spending it looking at screens.

Recently, media theorists Andre Mir offered this blunt conclusion in an article in the

city journal, quote,

screen time is stolen time.

And then went on to describe what a day in the life of a kid looks like today.

New time reaches two hours and 45 minutes between the ages of two and eight, four hours

and 45 minutes between the ages of eight and 12 and an astonishing seven hours and 15

minutes between the ages of 13 and 18.

That represents 20%, 32%, and 45% of a kid's waking time respectively.

Even worse, mere continued, families and schools have become the main source of the digital

...