Have We Destroyed Childhood? | The New Yorker

Experts say that childhood is suffering. They just can’t agree on the cause.

We blame smartphones—but the problem might be us. September 4, 2026 Illustration by Josie Norton Early in the psychologist Peter Gray’s new book, “Restoring Childhood: How to Set Kids Free in the Age of Anxiety,” he proposes a thought experiment. “Imagine that your spouse or your closest friend had the same power over you that parents typically have over children,” he suggests. Although you’re an adult, this “loving person” insists that you never leave the house without an accompanying guardian or a G.P.S. tracker. When you return, they demand a full account of what you did. Frequently,…

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• Adani Abutto

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