Study reveals a common skill today’s kids are missing, and it’s NOT what you’d expect

When it comes to deficits in today’s youth, you might think of waning social skills, shortened attention spans, perhaps an inability to think critically – all as a result of overuse and addiction to technology.

And you’d be right. All of the aforementioned skills are certainly decreasing in an alarming portion of younger generations largely because of their overdependence on technology. However, there’s another skill that’s apparently on the decline, and it’s quite odd.

“Modern kids are lacking some fundamental skills needed to safely play tag,” Glenn Beck reads from the Athletics Fitness website.

What about the age-old game of “you’re it!” is so problematic for today’s kids?

According to the website, “children are starting to hit with such force that they often end up whacking their opponent across the back with a monstrous slap,” showing that they “lack the innate ability to judge how much pressure to apply during games that require human contact.”

Turns out the problem is related to muscle memory – the idea that repetition develops one’s ability to reproduce specific movements without conscious thought. Unfortunately, most of today’s kids don’t play enough to develop muscle memory, so on the off chance they find themselves in a game of tag, they don’t understand what’s an appropriate amount of force to use.

A variety of factors are playing into this lack of playtime, including “video games, aversion to manual labor, [and] unavailability of a parent for wrestling.”

“Our kids are becoming absolute ‘WALL-E’ creatures,” says Glenn, referencing the 2008 Pixar film that depicted a world where humans are virtually immobilized due to overdependence on technology.

However, it’s not just technology and absent parents that are limiting child development; it’s also the fact that the little playtime kids do engage in is too structured. Organized sports, activities, and games where the rules are already predetermined don’t allow for much creativity, innovation, or independent thinking, all of which are critical for child brain development.

“My parents would always say, ‘Go outside and play, go find some friends and play,”’ Glenn recollects.

But that was during a time when play could happen on a whim, games were made up on the fly, and neighborhood streets and parks were a land of possibilities.

While our world has certainly shifted, children’s need for unstructured play has not, which is why it’s so critical to reinstate playtime as a cornerstone of childhood.

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