Two of my heroes are in conflict about the causes of the youth mental health crisis. I have admired evolutionary psychologist Peter Gray’s work since his 2013 book, Free to Learn, which advocates for more play and greater independence in childhood.

He defines play as enjoyable, self-chosen and self-directed activities engaged in for their own sake. Play is not devoid of structure because the rules come from the players’ minds. It is intrinsically creative and imaginative. Importantly, it is not adult-led.

My other hero, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, is also an admirer of Gray’s work. They were once close collaborators, including co-founding a non-profit with Lenore Skenazy called Let Grow, which campaigns for more free time spent playing. It opposes what it calls safetyism – bans on running in school playgrounds and overzealous laws enacted to prosecute parents who do not supervise their children for every moment of the day.

Their first disagreement was over video games, and they agreed to differ. Gray is a fan, believing that games build skills and allow young people to form connections without adults. Haidt was concerned about the levels of violence and the potential for addictive habits.

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