Air quality alerts often advise children and other sensitive populations to avoid going outside until the air clears. However, less time outdoors could lead to lasting impacts, particularly for children, with one expert telling Newsweek that worsening air quality could mark a “horrible turn for society.”
Why It Matters
The American Lung Association’s (ALA) annual State of the Air report found that 156.1 million people—46 percent of the population—now live in counties with failing grades for ozone or particle pollution, nearly 25 million higher than last year. As wildfires, vehicle emissions, and industrial pollutants continue to degrade air quality across the United States, health experts warn that sensitive groups, which include children, face disproportionate risks from exposure.
In regions experiencing air quality alerts, families are often urged to keep children indoors to minimize health hazards, especially during periods of elevated ozone or particulate matter levels.
What to Know
When inhaled, particles can lodge deep in the lungs and trigger inflammation, while ozone irritates the respiratory system and can exacerbate asthma.
Recent air quality alerts in Phoenix illustrate the ongoing risks. Arizona health officials issued advisories warning that children, seniors, and people with respiratory conditions should stay indoors when the Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses into unhealthy ranges. California, North Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico have also issued similar alerts this year.
Many of the alerts suggest avoiding outdoor exposure during times when the air quality is poor.
“To deprive people of nature, whether they are children or adults, is to bring a serious deficit into their lives,” Dr. Roberta Golinkoff, a professor at the University of Delaware, told Newsweek. “Even in prison, they let people go out and walk around the yard to get them outside. There’s something very comforting about breathing the natural air, looking at the trees, and walking on grass.”
If air quality gets bad enough, Golinkoff thinks some cities might resort to building indoor play areas to provide safe spaces for children to play.
“It’s a terrible outcome if that happens,” she said.
Less outside time has other lasting impacts on children as well. Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, told Newsweek that it could lead to higher screentime for young kids.
“Being indoors means less nature, it means less movement, and it means more time on screens,” she said.
What People Are Saying
Hirsh-Pasek told Newsweek: “What do you do when you can’t go out? Physical mobility is so important for later health. It’s related to obesity. Nature is great for mental health and just being active is good for your muscles and physical and mental health. The more we compromise kids being able to go out and play, the worse it is for kids.”
Katherine Pruitt, the senior director of Nationwide Clean Air Policy for the ALA, told Newsweek: “Restricting people’s ability to conduct their activities of daily living has the potential to impact their lives in many ways, from earning a living for outdoor workers, to running important errands like grocery shopping, to fitness, relaxation and play. Research has shown that time spent outdoors has physical and mental health benefits for all ages, but especially for children.”
Pruitt added: “The Air Quality Index’s health advisory messages for sensitive groups can only be effective if people living with conditions that make them more vulnerable to health harm from air pollution recognize themselves as part of a sensitive group and take appropriate precautions. Research has shown that is not necessarily the case.”
What Happens Next
Medical research underscores that even short-term exposure to pollutants can lead to more frequent hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses in children, including pneumonia and asthma. Some cities are taking measures to improve their air quality.
In February 2024, the EPA finalized a rule lowering the annual health-based standard for fine particulate matter to 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter, citing updated scientific findings linking PM2.5 exposure to premature death and serious cardiovascular impacts. The rule also included enhanced air monitoring and public alert systems to better protect vulnerable populations.
However, as of March 2025, the agency is reconsidering the rule, arguing that the tighter standard poses economic and implementation challenges.
The post Kids Being Advised to Stay Indoors Could Mark ‘Horrible Turn for Society’ appeared first on Newsweek.
