Raising Independent Kids: The Issue of Phone Trackers with America's 'Worst' Mom (encore)

About this episode

The episode discusses the decline of children's independence and explores solutions with Lenore Skenazy.

Kids and teens are experiencing less independence than in the past — whether due to screen time, parents' fears of letting them roam freely, or other factors. It's a problem. But why? And what can be done? In this episode, host Dr. Delaney Ruston discusses this important topic with journalist Lenore Skenazy, who was labeled "America's Worst Mom" after letting her 9-year-old take the New York City subway home alone. Skenazy has spent years sounding the alarm on the harms of decreased youth autonomy, including co-founding Let Grow with psychologists Jonathan Haidt and Peter Gray. This episode explores the factors contributing to decreased independence and offers tools for parents and schools to combat this trend. It also examines the role of technology and tracking devices in this context, addressing both their benefits and potential pitfalls. This episode is intended for adult and teen audiences. Featured Expert Lenore Skenazy Books Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy Research References Mott Poll Report: Promoting children's Independence: What parents say vs do Media violence, physical aggression, and relational aggression in school age children: a short-term longitudinal study…

People in this episode

Host: Delaney Ruston

Guest: Lenore Skenazy

Topics covered

• children's independence
• parenting challenges
• technology and autonomy
• youth autonomy
• screen time effects

Keywords

• independence
• parenting
• screen time
• youth autonomy
• tracking devices
• Lenore Skenazy
• Free Range Kids

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Let Grow, LetGrow.Org

Books & works: Free Range Kids

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