Christiana

And often they're on their phones at the same time. Yeah, they're monitoring the kids.

And often they're on their phones at the same time. Yeah, they're monitoring the kids.

And I go, guys, this is a prison yard. I keep saying it. I go, find me the difference between this and a prison yard.

And I go, guys, this is a prison yard. I keep saying it. I go, find me the difference between this and a prison yard.

But I watch this and I think to myself, where are the kids learning how to resolve conflicts amongst themselves? Where are they learning what games they do and don't want to play amongst each other? Where are they learning? None of this. One kid cries, parents swoop in. One kid falls, parents swoop in. Kids argue with each other, parents swoop in. Like it's the dogs at the dog park.

But I watch this and I think to myself, where are the kids learning how to resolve conflicts amongst themselves? Where are they learning what games they do and don't want to play amongst each other? Where are they learning? None of this. One kid cries, parents swoop in. One kid falls, parents swoop in. Kids argue with each other, parents swoop in. Like it's the dogs at the dog park.

have more freedom than the children do at a children's park.

have more freedom than the children do at a children's park.

It really is interesting. And I see this and the parents would say to me, oh, but you don't know what it's like to have a kid. And I go, yeah, but I remember being a kid.

It really is interesting. And I see this and the parents would say to me, oh, but you don't know what it's like to have a kid. And I go, yeah, but I remember being a kid.

So now let's talk about what it robs you of. Because when I say this to people who have kids, people think I'm doing the grumpy old man thing. In my day, you ran around and you scraped your knee and it didn't, you know. And I'm not trying to say that I believe that it's helping you assess risk. I believe that it's helping you understand, you know, hierarchies.

So now let's talk about what it robs you of. Because when I say this to people who have kids, people think I'm doing the grumpy old man thing. In my day, you ran around and you scraped your knee and it didn't, you know. And I'm not trying to say that I believe that it's helping you assess risk. I believe that it's helping you understand, you know, hierarchies.

It's helping you understand social dynamics. It's preparing you for the world that you're going to live in is what I always say. But you've actually done the work and you've done the research. So if a parent out there is saying to you, oh, Jonathan, I... I don't want my kid being bullied at a playground. I don't want them being punched by someone or getting hurt.

It's helping you understand social dynamics. It's preparing you for the world that you're going to live in is what I always say. But you've actually done the work and you've done the research. So if a parent out there is saying to you, oh, Jonathan, I... I don't want my kid being bullied at a playground. I don't want them being punched by someone or getting hurt.

They're going to fall off the bars and they're going to hurt their knee. How can I allow this? What are they losing by not allowing this?

They're going to fall off the bars and they're going to hurt their knee. How can I allow this? What are they losing by not allowing this?

We're priming them for dictatorship. We really are. It sounds like we're priming them. That's a wild way to think of it actually. It's like you're not teaching them to be a part of a society. You're teaching them to be a part of a monitored state.

We're priming them for dictatorship. We really are. It sounds like we're priming them. That's a wild way to think of it actually. It's like you're not teaching them to be a part of a society. You're teaching them to be a part of a monitored state.

So it wasn't like a gradual thing.

So it wasn't like a gradual thing.