“We’re all sad, and we’re a little worried…We’re sad about something missing in childhood,” psychologist Michael Thompson told 900 early childhood educators from 22 states packed into a lecture hall last week. “We have to fight back,” he declared. “We’re going to fight for play.”

It is estimated that since the 1980s the average American children have 8 to 12 fewer hours of free play time per week. Some of the factors behind the decline have been there for decades, others are more recent. Among the key factors are:

● Parents are unwilling to let their kids play outside on their own, for fear of injury or other accidents, and organized sports and other structured activities take up a large part of a child’s non-school hours.

● More hours per week are spent by kids watching TV, playing video games, using the Internet, and communicating on cell phones.

● More importance is attached to formal learning in preschool, more homework for primary school students and more pressure from parents on young children to quickly acquire academic skills.

“Parents are more self-conscious and competitive than in the past,” Thompson said. “They’re pushing their kids to do better than others…Free play loses out. ” But he points out that this option doesn’t necessarily breed (培养) creativity and can lead to burnout for good young athletes and frustration for the less skilled. He is also concerned that preschools, in the drive to prepare students for the academic challenges ahead, are reducing the opportunity for group fantasy play — and thus reducing children’s chances to learn on their own about fairness, kindness and other social interactions (交往).

The consequences are potentially awful, according to Thompson, who points out that reduced time to play freely with other children is producing a generation of unsociable young people and is a factor behind high rates of weight problems, anxiety, and depression among youth. “Without enough opportunity for forms of play that promote creative thinking,” he says, “America’s children will be at a disadvantage in the global economy.”

There’s a child-like joy that comes with ordering something online. We sit refreshing the U. S. Postal Service or FedEx pages to see when our items will arrive and we become overly excited, hopeful and anxious. But why?

According to a psychotherapist Owen O’Kane, it’s anticipatory(预期的)pleasure that something positive and good is going to happen when we get this parcel. When our package finally arrives, many of us are satisfied. But that initial excitement has probably waned because our obsession(痴迷)with our parcel represents much more than the item we purchased. “What we’re talking about here is hope and having something to look forward to, but not the item itself.” O’Kane explains.

Anticipating good things is a formula that has fueled many helpful remarks through the years: Tomorrow is another day. However, anticipation isn’t always a good thing. In September, people went into a frenzy when it was announced that their mail delivery would become permanently slower. And now, many are worried about their items. This phenomenon is called pre-parcel anxiety. A delayed package may seem insignificant to some. But for others, getting your hopes up only for them to be thwarted(阻挠)is angering and anxiety-provoking.

O’Kane says these reactions are telling about more deep-rooted internal issues in our lives that go beyond a delayed package. “Anxiety is intolerance(不容忍)to uncertainty. So it’s really symbolic about something bigger, about that need to control and needing everything to be perfect. It’s important to practice self-care and treat ourselves with occasional gifts. However, O’Kane cautions comfort shopping is only a temporary fix. He adds many people often seek external solutions as a way of feeling better quickly, whereas a healthier long-term coping mechanism is to look inward and appreciate our life with “mindfulness, gratitude and savoring (鉴赏).” “We will find placing an order and receiving an item is stimulating on some level, but it is the most passive way to live. Challenge ourselves to take action in our life instead of waiting for it to arrive. ”

So the next time we feel the impulse to order and track something online, consider why.

A proposal released in China recently would require all mobile devices, apps and app stores to have a built-in “minor mode” that would restrict daily screen time to two hours a day, depending on the age group. The restrictions, if approved, would mark an expansion of existing measures rolled out in recent years as China aims to limit screen time among kids and reduce their exposure to undesirable information.

Under the draft rules open for public discussion, children and teens using devices in minor mode would automatically see online applications close when respective time limits are up. They would also be offered age-based content.

No one under 18 would be able to access their screens between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. while using the mode. Children under eight would be able to use their phones for only 40 minutes a day, while those between 8 and 16 would get an hour of screen time. Teenagers over 16 and under 18 would be allowed two hours. All age groups would receive a reminder to rest after using their device for more than 30 minutes. Parents would be able to override time restrictions, and certain educational and emergency services would not be subject to the time limits.

Parents said the proposal can help protect children’s vision as many young kids cannot stop themselves while watching something they like. On the other hand, it’s easier for parents to control their kids’ screen time. Most importantly, the content under the minor mode is more positive and healthier.

The effectiveness of the new proposed measures may depend on parents’ example, according to a father of two in southeastern China’s Zhuhai city, who said children sometimes use their parents’ accounts to play online. “Even we adults need it!” he joked.