Are Children’s Social Skills Disappearing?

Are children losing their social skills—or are they getting fewer chances to practice them?
Social skills don’t disappear. They develop, or stall, based on experience. In a world where discomfort is easier to avoid and interaction is increasingly mediated by screens, many children are simply under-practiced. This article explains what developmental psychology tells us about social learning, why the real change is practice rather than capacity, and how parents and educators can support social growth at every age.