Overscheduled kids a myth?

From Newsweek magazine (Oct 2 issue):

For parents who fear they're "overscheduling" their children, a new study carries a soothing message. The paper, published last week by the Society for Research in Child Development, is the first to take a data-driven look at the issue—and whether being so busy is really a bad thing. The study suggests the phenomenon is more isolated than media reports suggest: in fact, 40 percent of children (ages 5 to 18) are engaged in no activities, typical kids spend just five hours a week in structured activities, and very few children—3 to 6 percent—spend 20 hours a week. On average, most kids spend far more time watching TV and playing games. And for kids who are extremely busy, there's also good news: the more activities they do, the better kids stack up on measures of educational achievement and psychological adjustment.

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