Why don’t kids want to play anymore? (hint: it's not the screens)

A little extra cash goes a long way during the holidays. Head to https://chime.yt.link/VCh2ezE for a $100 bonus and 5% cash back with our sponsor, Chime® Spotify Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7JoJYDw... Find me on tiktok   / ashleyembers   MERCH https://ashley-embers-shop.fourthwall... Time Stamps 00:00 - intro 02:12 - where did the toys go? 12:48 - Chime 15:20 - home before dark 26:11 - the digital divide 33:00 - final thoughts References & Resources Why Adults Are Playing with Toys https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the... Toys “R” Us” Toy Sales to Adults Outpace Households with Children https://sandrarose.com/2026/09/toys-r... How Unstructured Play Fosters Problem-Solving, Creativity, and Critical Thinking   / how-unstructured-play-fosters-problem-solv...   Some children now lose ability to 'pretend play' as young as six https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-o... Why Kids Aren't Playing Outside (And What You Can do About It) https://playgroundresearch.org/why-ki... Concerns grow as unstructured outdoor play decreases for Canadian children https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article... Cars, dog poo, and delivery drivers: why children don’t play out any more https://www.theguardian.com/environme... New Playgrounds Are Safe—and That's Why Nobody Uses Them https://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar... Why are playgrounds so boring? https://bethcollier.substack.com/p/wh... The Digital Gap Between Rich and Poor Kids Is Not What We Expected https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/st... Contact Me My name is ashley, if you didn't know ;)   / ashley_embers_   Email: hello@embersash.com Business Inquiries: ashleyembers@sparkmedia.la #videoessay #motherhoodinprogress 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Teenage Kicks by The Undertones, https://t.lickd.co/l/yWPAj6aEVzX Chime is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services and Chime Card provided by Chime’s bank partners. $100 Bonus: *Terms apply, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn the rewards, up to a maximum of $100.00, as described in the offer terms at https://www.chime.com/join/promos/get.... 82% of Americans: Source - CNBC Select Credit Building with Chime Card, Round Ups, and Split Your Pay: For information on credit building, Round Ups, and Split Your Pay, please see chime.com/disclosures. 5% Cash Back: Cash back on eligible Chime Card purchases. Terms and limits apply. To apply for a Chime Card, you must also open a Chime Checking Account. Savings APY: No min. balance required. For more information on Annual Percentage Yields, go to chime.com/disclosures 10x times national average: Comparison to national average rate on the FDIC’s National Rates and Rate Caps website, as of 10/07/2026. America’s #1 Choice for Banking: Ranking based on a blind survey conducted by Chime in May 2026 of consumers who opened a new personal checking account at a different institution listed in the survey in the preceding six months. Chime offers access to checking accounts used for everyday banking.