Erosion of Childhood letter...

I am one of 200 'experts' (I use that term advisedly) to sign a letter that was published in the Daily Telegraph at the end of September on the lack of outdoor play for many children...
Here it is:

SIR –
Five years ago, your newspaper published a letter signed by more than 100 experts, arguing that children’s well-being and mental health were being adversely affected by modern technological and commercial culture. Since then, several high-profile reports on the state of childhood in Britain have agreed that our children are suffering from a relentless diet of "too much, too soon" – with Unicef finding Britain to have the lowest levels of children’s well-being in the developed world, and Britain coming out near the top of international league tables on almost all indicators of teenage distress and disaffection.
Although parents are deeply concerned about this issue, the erosion of childhood in Britain has continued apace since 2006. Our children are subjected to increasing commercial pressures, they begin formal education earlier than the European norm, and they spend ever more time indoors with screen-based technology, rather than in outdoor activity. The time has come to move from awareness to action. We call on all organisations and individuals concerned about the erosion of childhood to come together to achieve the following: public information campaigns about children’s developmental needs, what constitutes "quality childcare", and the dangers of a consumerist screen-based life-style; the establishment of a genuinely play-based curriculum in nurseries and primary schools up to the age of six, free from the downward pressure of formal learning, tests and targets; community-based initiatives to ensure that children’s outdoor play and connection to nature are encouraged, supported and resourced within every local neighbourhood, and the banning of all forms of marketing directed at children up to at least age seven.
It is everyone’s responsibility to challenge policy-making and cultural developments that entice children into growing up too quickly – and to protect their right to be healthy and joyful natural learners. Top-down, political approaches to change always have their limitations, no matter how well-intentioned. It is only by coming together as a unifying voice from the grass roots, therefore, that we can hope to interrupt the erosion of childhood, and find a more human way to nurture and empower all our children.

You can read the letter and see the other signatories here...

I think it's worth saying that I would say you can have both outdoor play and screen time. My son benefits hugely from time spent on the iPad which helps his creative and communication side wonderfully. Some of these 'addictive computer games' also have real value used in an educational context - I have seen the benefits of games based learning. I didn't sign up to get rid of computers - goodness knows I spend long enough each day staring at them...

It's also interesting to read the numerous comments below the article which as always veer from one extreme view to another (with some in the middle)

Thanks to Dan for sending the link - I had forgotten all about that...

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