It’s true that engaging with others on the playground can be a harrowing experience too Children often need to be monitored and at times disciplined for acts of cruelty carelessness selfishness even violence computers do provide an attractively reliable alternative to the dangers of unsupervised play But schools too often use computers or other highly structured activities to prevent these problematic qualities of childhood from surfacing-out of fear or a compulsion to force-feed academics This effectively denies children the practice and feedback they need to develop the skills and dispositions of a mature person If children do not test the waters of unsupervised social activity they likely will never be able to swim in the sea of civic responsibility If they have no opportunities to dig in the soil discover the spiders bugs birds and plants that populate even the smallest unpaved playgrounds they will be less likely to explore appreciate and protect nature as adults