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Why America’s Kids Are Anxious
Ravi Gupta welcomes back Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and president of Let Grow, to explore how fear-driven parenting and digital distraction are reshaping childhood. From the 1980s milk-carton panic to today’s surveillance tech, they show how over-scheduling breeds helplessness instead of competence. Citing new polling, Skenazy reveals kids overwhelmingly prefer unstructured play with friends over screens or adult-run activities. They link these trends to rising youth anxiety, falling literacy, and weakened civic resilience—arguing that restoring children’s freedom is both a personal and political imperative.
Signal Award Voting (make sure to vote if you haven’t yet):
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Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 201-305-0084
Follow Ravi at @RaviMGupta
Notes from this episode are also available on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/
Read more from Ravi on Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com
Follow The Branch at @thebranchmedia
Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785
Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xR9pch9DrQDiZfGB5oF0F
Listen to Where the Schools Went: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/where-the-schools-went/
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By The Branch
4.6
600600 ratings
Ravi Gupta welcomes back Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and president of Let Grow, to explore how fear-driven parenting and digital distraction are reshaping childhood. From the 1980s milk-carton panic to today’s surveillance tech, they show how over-scheduling breeds helplessness instead of competence. Citing new polling, Skenazy reveals kids overwhelmingly prefer unstructured play with friends over screens or adult-run activities. They link these trends to rising youth anxiety, falling literacy, and weakened civic resilience—arguing that restoring children’s freedom is both a personal and political imperative.
Signal Award Voting (make sure to vote if you haven’t yet):
--
Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 201-305-0084
Follow Ravi at @RaviMGupta
Notes from this episode are also available on Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/
Read more from Ravi on Substack: https://realravigupta.substack.com
Follow The Branch at @thebranchmedia
Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lost-debate/id1591300785
Listen to more episodes of Lost Debate on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7xR9pch9DrQDiZfGB5oF0F
Listen to Where the Schools Went: https://thebranchmedia.org/show/where-the-schools-went/
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