From the article:

Risky play is associated with greater resilience, self-confidence, problem-solving and social skills such as cooperation, negotiation and empathy, according to studies by Sandseter and others. When a study in Leuven, Belgium, gave four- and six-year-olds just two hours a week of opportunities for risky play over the course of three months, their risk-assessment skills improved compared with those of children in a control group2. In this study, the risky play took place at school, in a gym class and in the classroom.

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[–] shalafi 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (11 children)

Between the school system, parents and social media, GenZ is the wussiest, lock stepping, conformist, risk-adverse generation of all time.

"Gosh! What if I get in trouble?"

"Heavens me! What if I'm criticized on social media?"

"What if I'm told no?!"

Fuck me, asked one of my best friends (22) to do a thing with me. "What if we get in trouble?" "Uh, worst possible case? Someone says 'Stop that.'" Like being told "no" might involve cops.

There was an eye-opening reddit post about the whole thing. 12-years on reddit, that post still sticks with me. Read it. It's all honest discussion. (Yes, it starts about social skills, read on, you'll see what I'm getting at.)

TWO college professors chimed in saying their students would sit in the dark before class because no one had the guts to turn the lights on. "Uh, we didn't want to stand out or get in trouble."

You weren't allowed to take risks. Y'all have had the world stolen from you in 1,000 ways, ways you'll never know about.

EDIT: Reading those comments again right now. I'm 54, but my kids are 10 and 12, I weep for the youth. You've been fucked and think it's just normal life.

[–] PalmTreeIsBestTree 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I am a late 90s Gen Z and I am so glad that social media didn’t exist like it does now in the 00s. I am probably the last generation of kids that had the more traditional childhood where I was able to be left alone and do my own thing. My parents always encouraged me to be outside and hangout with friends. That’s what I did. My neighborhood friends and I were dicks though. We ding dong ditch houses and shit.

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