This article raises issue with
the safety of playgrounds. In the
article Henry Stern New York City’s park commissioner in
the 1990s created a 10 ft jungle gym in a playground. There was some controversy over his ideas but today
researchers also question the value of safety-first playgrounds. In the article John Tierney writes, “these
playgrounds may stunt emotional development, leaving children with anxieties
and fears that are ultimately worse than a broken bone.” The articles continues to write that
playgrounds with risk and heights are proven to reduce phobias later on
life. For example even if a 9 year
old has an accident on a playground he or she is less likely to have a phobia
of heights later on in life. 10 ft
structures and risky structures are now largely removed from America’s
playgrounds due to “parental concerns, federal guidelines, new safety standards
set by manufacturers and — the most frequently cited factor — fear of lawsuits.” Now playgrounds are rubberized and have
lower platforms. In the article
the author writes, “risky play mirrors effective cognitive behavioral therapy
of anxiety, they write in the journal
Evolutionary Psychology, concluding that this “anti-phobic effect”
helps explain the evolution of children’s fondness for thrill-seeking.”
Joe
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