I think one of the things I like the most about being part of Generation X (other than our music, which is still far superior to any other era) is that we are a bridge generation in some very important ways.
We all know the cliches. Gen X played outside until the streetlights came on. We drank from garden hoses. When we got bloody, we poured some dirt on it (or Mercurochrome -- OUCH!). And we were always skeptical of authority.
But we also grew up at the dawn of the Information Age. Most kids in Gen X had a personal computer at some point in our formative years. The Internet didn't come along until we were a little older, of course, but we were familiar with the concept of spending too much time on our screens.
For Boomers who preceded us, this era didn't come along until they were well into adulthood. The Millennials and Gen Z who came after grew up almost entirely on screens or online. And Generation Alpha? Those poor kids don't stand a chance, growing up not only with the Internet, but also with artificial intelligence.
So, when The Institute for Family Studies posted some new research online yesterday, the statistics were depressing, but hardly surprising.
American kids spend enormous amounts of time online with very few significant restrictions, according to a new @FamStudies research brief published today by Michael Toscano, @lymanstoneky and @grantjbailey
— The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) May 5, 2026
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Read the summary here: https://t.co/JlBE8GLEIu pic.twitter.com/nj5tlnLHor
The only shocking part about the report's key findings was how young children were beginning to live on their smartphones and tablets.
Among the key findings:
— The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) May 5, 2026
➡️ Even parents who describe their parenting style as low tech and encourage free-range play allow their three-year-old children an average of 3.5 hours per week of time on internet-enabled devices.
Article link is here: https://t.co/JlBE8GLEIu pic.twitter.com/s3FVhKIA3t
Three years old seems pretty young to be spending hours per week on a screen, but again, it wasn't a surprise. And, admittedly, in Gen X, while we probably didn't start at such a young age, many of us spent that much time per week, or much more, in video arcades (or at home if we were lucky enough to have an Atari 2600).
The study contained some other predictable findings, such as limiting screen time being more prevalent with parents who have a conservative or religious background. The higher the education level of parents was also indicative of limiting screen time among children, though not necessarily starting them at an older age.
It was all very depressing. But then I saw a finding that just made me weep, not so much for the future, but for children themselves, as well as the state of our nation.
Children in America today have almost NO freedom outside the home.
Also, American kids are generally not free to move around unsupervised.
— The Institute for Family Studies (@FamStudies) May 5, 2026
➡️ More here: https://t.co/JlBE8GLEIu pic.twitter.com/NL6RODOOE0
Man, talk about 'kids in cages'! This isn't just depressing; it is catastrophic.
Even up to 13 years old, nearly 70 percent of children are not allowed to leave their house, yard, or street unsupervised.
At 13 years old, my parents often had no idea where I was or what I was doing. And I'm not alone there. (Though, they always seemed to find out somehow if we were up to no good, didn't they?)
This is my theory on why kids are so anxious - extreme structure and oversight leaves them unable to operate an unstructured world. https://t.co/9cuaypwg9s
— Dave (@pa_tall) May 5, 2026
It's easy to criticize 'helicopter parents' -- ironically, many of whom are Gen X themselves -- but can you really blame them?
What parent wants their child to be able to roam freely when they see what happened to Laken Riley, Sheridan Gorman, or little Athena Strand in Texas? What parent wouldn't want their kids to be under lock and key at all times?
~90% of 10 and under can't leave their street!? https://t.co/OZxDbDJ5vU
— Ashley Fitzgerald (@RizomaSchool) May 5, 2026
I don't fault those parents. Not even a little bit.
Unfortunately, it means these kids are growing up without even the most fundamental skills needed to be a functional adult.
I grew up in the “can go anywhere” camp.
— Danielle Franz (@DanielleBFranz) May 6, 2026
As free-range childhood disappears, we are losing foundational civic infrastructure for American self-government.
You can’t hand someone a ballot at 18 and expect instincts they were never allowed to practice. https://t.co/4dwvVbWkdk
No wonder Gen Z kids are asking to bring their parents with them to job interviews. They've likely never been unsupervised in their whole life.
this is bad and we should seek to build cities that dramatically change these numbers (towards freedom for kids) https://t.co/VrC4G3LhWw
— jackzilla (@jackzilla) May 5, 2026
We don't simply need to change our cities. We need to change our culture.
Most obviously, we need to fix our broken justice system in allegedly 'liberal' parts of the country. Violent criminals need to be dealt with severely. And if that violence is against a child, you can throw away the key for all I care. Or, better yet, don't even waste the money on a lifetime in prison, if you get where I am going here. (Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Woodchipper, woodchipper.)
We'll never eliminate crimes against children. We had them back in the young days of Gen X, too. But that was nothing like today. And it is directly tied to leftists trying to destroy America.
It sure would be nice if we fixed schools, too, so that children didn't grow up without learning even basic levels of independent or critical thinking. It's pretty difficult for kids to develop those skills when there is ALWAYS an adult around to correct them for wrongthink.
Only if we can fix these underlying issues can we then turn to parents and say, "Let the children run free." Only then can we tell parents it's OK to tell a child to get offline and touch some grass, preferably in the woods where there are sticks, and streams, and critters, and no illegal Venezuelan criminals who might change their life forever -- or end it.
I know America will likely never get back to the glory of growing up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. Not entirely. And that's sad. But we can move in that direction, can't we?
Because while predators are allowed to run free, children today -- to our great shame -- are growing up in prison.
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