I think we're just going to have to develop a whole set of new norms for how to live healthy lives in the digital age. I don't think there's one silver bullet for this.

The solution depends on what is causing the child's lack of desire to socialize with other children. How serious is it? Does he absolutely refuse to be social with people, is it only with a specific group? Is he selective and has a small group of friends or none at all?. Age is a factor to consider

I may be biased here, but people could start going to church again...

It's a huge problem. I tried to help my kids grow up the way I did, hanging out in the neighborhood a lot with other kids, building forts in the woods, etc.

But I'll be honest - it wasn't that successful. Not that I wasn't kicking them out of the house enough, but...there was nobody else out there to play with! Seriously, all the other kids were either playing video games, or in after school sports, or some kind of after school enrichment. Very few - almost zero - kids were out there, willing and able to hang out and play.

You really have to be VERY deliberate with what kind of place you move into. Where we lived earlier was very tech oriented, and very international. And transient - nobody had grown up there.

That's the worst kind of neighborhood to grow up in, if you care about your kids being able to play with other kids, in person.

The kind of neighborhood to grow up in would be one where :

Also - you gotta bite the bullet and just NOT ALLOW screen time except for very limited chunks, perhaps. And ideally convince the neighbors of the same. Yes, it's easier to park kids in front of a screen. But that's exactly how this problem is perpetuated. And kids nowadays really do have what seem to be very serious issues.

A family friend with 4 young kids moved away from a neighborhood that was kind of like my old neighborhood (very career oriented, no kids playing on the street).

They moved to a new development where there are lots of new families, and almost all of them home-school. Apparently the kids are out playing with their friends all the time, and are very happy. Very limited screen time. It's a big risk because this new place is way out in the country, 2 hours from his (remote) job. So, hope he's able to keep the job, because there's zero jobs out there. But then - the kids are doing great.

It's so sad now when you go to a restaurant where there are young kids. I'd say at least 80% of the kids are not interacting with anyone, nor drawing with the restaurant-provided coloring paper and crayons. Instead, they're watching a show on their tablet. Very, very sad and so unhealthy for the kids.

Church youth groups.

Yes, really. You need to get kids out there with other kids, and in environments where they aren't fighting in the bathroom for views on Instagram or planning to cut their dicks or tits off for social proof. It doesn't matter if you believe in what the church reaches, you have to put your kids in a healthy environment where they can socialize with other kids.

Other considerations are, can they mentally stimulate themselves without getting off the couch? If so, put a stop to it. Your kid is better off playing with sticks. That shit is candy, devoid of substance but maximally stimulating. You're training them to look for the easiest possible way to entertain their minds. You're training them to stimulate without learning or doing. You're turning them into obese consumers. Stop doing that.

We simply have to teach children that they must detach themselves from their cell phone screens and that there are many things beyond what they see; the digital age has absorbed the little ones but as parents we must teach them to enjoy a genuine childhood. I remember spending endless hours playing in the street with my friends when I was little and nothing electronic was ever necessary.

The issue is these days, the other kids aren't out there playing either , they're online socialising in Roblox etc

The genie won't be going back in the bottle, but I think sports , play dates and other activities can be put in the mix for balance

we cud send them on a quest: #891331

i spent some of my childhood chasing cats, climbing rooftops & into sketchy places, peeking around brothels, teasing drunks & druggies around a ghetto neighborhood, as late as midnight with a couple friends. i had no cell phone, and sometimes had a bike.

my mother trusted me to be home eventually... she often told me to "go play in the street" herself, because the shoebox apartment was too small. so that shall be my approach: kick the kids out of the house into the streets to find entertainment. i might put a tracking chip in their clothes for peace of mind.

They don't do it on their own, you have to take them places, and not have a tablet with them constantly. It takes commitment, but isn't complicated.

To us, its just part of homeschooling schedule... my kids have a rough schedule of story and free time at a library, play dates, seasonal sportsy outdoor things, etc.

Public school parents seem to abdicate this responsibility culturally, so many kids don't know how to talk to anyone outside of a detainment context. Talking to adults that aren't their parents is just as important.

Even if you're not in a position to homeschool because of work/household formation etc you still have to parent like a homeschooler, can't just leave them with the state day in and out and hope for the best.

Well limit their time they have with electronic devices for a start. And then try doing something with them like ride bikes together, play catch. Play some football, some board games. Kind of try doing what us older people used to do I guess