An opinion piece for Fox News argues that concern over teenagers' screen time is overblown compared with a bigger issue: the decline of formative experiences such as summer jobs. The author highlights that the share of 16-19-year-olds holding summer jobs has fallen to near the lowest levels recorded since tracking began after the Second World War, suggesting today's teenagers are missing out on responsibilities and life skills that previous generations gained through paid work.

The piece cites Bureau of Labor Statistics figures showing roughly one in three American teenagers aged 16 to 19 currently has a summer job, meaning more than 11 million of the estimated 17 million high-school-aged population go without one. It notes that around half of teens attend some form of summer camp instead, according to Gallup, though many of these are short, week-long day camps such as those focused on sport or music, and participation rates vary between income groups.