Children and teenagers are spending increasing amounts of time online, a trend fueled in part by a decline in opportunities for unstructured, in-person social interaction, experts say. Recent studies highlight that many young people desire more free time spent with peers outside digital devices, but face significant barriers to doing so.
A 2025 survey by Harris Poll found that most children aged 8 to 12 have never walked or biked anywhere without adult supervision. This restriction is partly attributed to concerns about safety and urban environments that do not facilitate independent mobility. For older children, parental limits remain tight; an Institute for Family Studies poll reported that most parents of 14-year-olds restrict them to their immediate neighborhoods.
Access to suitable “third places” — community spaces beyond home and school — is also limited. A study by the California Partners Project noted that many teens lack transportation to reach such locations, and financial constraints further restrict their access to venues like cafés, which typically require spending money. Additionally, some public spaces actively exclude youth; more than 1,000 malls nationwide reportedly have policies that discourage or prohibit young people’s presence, according to the National Youth Rights Association.
This lack of access to welcoming, informal environments pushes many young people to seek connection online. The California Partners survey revealed that roughly half of teens who feel unwelcome in physical spaces are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for companionship and advice. However, nearly half of these teens indicated they would reduce chatbot use if opportunities for real-life socializing were available.
Both the 2025 Harris Poll and the California Partners Project survey found overwhelming preference among children and teens for unstructured, in-person time with peers. Among younger children, informal hangouts were favored over organized activities or online interaction. Teens similarly ranked unplanned face-to-face gatherings highest, with 70% expressing interest, while only 17% preferred organized events and 12% online engagement.
Mental health professionals note this shift toward virtual interaction is likely contributing to rising levels of anxiety and depression among youth over recent decades, alongside declining independence and free play. To address these challenges, experts advocate for opening more public spaces where children and teenagers can gather freely and safely. Suggestions include reversing bans on youth in shopping centers—while maintaining measures to address disruptive behavior—and repurposing underutilized locations such as town hall basements or community college cafeterias into accessible recreational spaces.
Reintroducing “parkies,” or recreation supervisors, into parks, expanding library programs to include social and creative activities, and keeping schools open after hours for free play are also recommended. Such efforts could provide the physical settings that foster social-emotional development, reduce reliance on digital platforms, and help mitigate mental health risks linked to isolation.
Ultimately, experts emphasize the role of parents in balancing safety concerns with the need for children’s social freedom. Encouraging supervised independence and supporting access to local gathering places may help young people reclaim valuable in-person time with friends, a fundamental component of childhood that many currently lack.