Do kids turn to phones because parents restrict their independence?

Episode 208: For years, experts and parents alike have debated how to get children off their devices. Limiting screen time, blocking apps and setting stricter household rules are common strategies. But what if the problem isn’t the technology itself but the loss of freedom to simply be a kid?

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada look at a revealing report from The Atlantic that asked children directly how they would spend less time online. The most common response was not more rules or stricter discipline — it was more unstructured play with friends, free from constant supervision.

The answers highlight a cultural shift. Over the past several decades, the independence once common for children — riding bikes across town, walking to the corner store or wandering through a local park — has