The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: "Remember How to Live" with Catherine Price—The Power of Fun

Host: Jenny Urich
Guest: Catherine Price
Release Date: October 20, 2025
Duration Covered: Content only (ads, intros, and outros omitted)

Episode Overview

This engaging episode features Jenny Urich in conversation with acclaimed author and science journalist Catherine Price, focusing on the themes of her books, particularly How to Break Up With Your Phone and The Power of Fun. The discussion centers on reclaiming leisure from technology and work-driven culture, nurturing true fun in adulthood and childhood, and the vital developmental role of unstructured outdoor play for kids. Catherine shares her personal journey, research insights, strategies for reintroducing play and fun into busy lives, and practical advice for parents and adults looking to rediscover fulfillment beyond screens.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Catherine Price’s Background and Motivation for Her Work

• Phone Habits & Parenthood: Catherine began writing about technology after noticing her own phone habits while parenting.

  “Here's this little baby looking up at her mother, and here's her mother looking down at her phone. And that's not how I want to live.” (Catherine Price, 01:39)

• From Phones to Fun: Her book How to Break Up With Your Phone addresses not just quitting technology, but creating healthier habits and boundaries. Unexpectedly, removing tech created a new problem: “What do I do with my time now?”

• The Guitar Class Catalyst: Trying guitar lessons showed her the profound impact of “true fun,” sparking the research that became The Power of Fun.

2. Understanding the Value of True Fun

• Fun is Essential, Not Frivolous: Catherine explains how our culture downplays fun, but it is essential for mental and physical health.

• The Venn Diagram of Fun: True fun happens at the intersection of playfulness, connection, and flow (38:01).

  “True fun ... is when three things happen at once where we feel a sense of playfulness, a sense of connection and a sense of flow.” (Catherine Price, 38:01)

• Group Activities Energize: Even when exhausted, participating in group hobbies or classes outside the home is revitalizing, contrasting with the draining effects of passive screen time.

3. Overcoming Barriers: The Time Value Paradox

• Cultural Attitudes Towards Time: Modern society equates time with money, making rest and play feel wasteful, despite evidence that leisure renews us (19:19–22:14).

  “We have started ... to equate time with money. And so any use of time that doesn’t result in money, we classify as a ‘waste of time.’ But then ironically, we end up wasting the time that we have.” (Catherine Price, 21:14)

• The Performance Trap: Both adults and kids fall into doing activities “for purpose”—resume-building or monetary gain—rather than joy.

4. How to Reclaim Fun as an Adult

• Finding Adult Extracurriculars: Catherine urges adults to seek “extracurriculars” just as kids do—structured, regularly scheduled activities led by someone else, removing the burden of scheduling.

  “If you can find something ... scheduled and arranged by somebody else that you just show up for ... it eliminates a lot of those problems.” (Katherine Price, 11:07)

• Being a Beginner is Vulnerable but Vital: Adults often fear starting new things due to perfectionism but being a beginner is both natural and satisfying (46:54).

  “You're really shutting yourself off from anything new if you're not willing to be a beginner, then you're kind of dead.” (Katherine Price, 47:05)

5. True Fun vs. Fake Fun: A Critical Distinction

• True Fun: Energizing, meaningful, memorable. Must involve playfulness, connection, and flow.

• Fake Fun: Feels like fun at first (e.g., scrolling social media), but leaves you drained or emptier than before.

  “Fake fun ... is kind of like junk food. Like it often feels good at first or is tempting ... but then it makes you feel gross afterwards.” (Catherine Price, 40:57)

• Middle-ground Activities: Also important—solo hobbies, crafts, or quiet relaxation that replenish energy or build skills.

6. Examples and Stories: How Fun Happens

• Simple Joys Stick: Whether playing "two balls" at a pool or allowing yourself to get soaked in the rain with a grandparent, the most memorable, connecting, and energizing moments are often simple and unplanned.

  “One of her memories was being a child and going out into the rain with her grandfather without umbrellas and just deliberately allowing themselves to get soaked.” (Catherine Price, 34:15)

• Game Highlight—'Two Balls': An example of pure fun—players jump into a pool trying to catch two tennis balls mid-air. Adults and kids alike spent hours at it, “glowing” with energy and connection (28:54–31:48).

• Pursue Passions, Embrace Imperfection: Owning a neglected guitar? Just start. Master the basics and enjoy the journey—no need for perfection or public performance.

7. Role of Technology and Protecting Children

• Screen Time Effects: Early tech leaders like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates withheld screens from their children long before scientific consensus publicized risks (60:01–63:05).

  “They totally went on their instinct and their insider knowledge of what they could see happening...when everyday people were like, ‘this does weird stuff to my kids,’…But you're completely right…in terms of many tech executives' personal decisions about their kids, they totally went on their instinct.” (Catherine Price, 60:09)

• Trust Parental Instincts: The science now supports what many parents long sensed; don’t wait for definitive proof to limit screens and prioritize connection.

8. Cultivating Fun for Families and Children

• Model Fun, Not Just Achievement: Children naturally know how to have fun—making up games, being silly, exploring. Adults need to reclaim that attitude for themselves and protect it in their kids (25:29–26:37).

  “Not treating childhood as this resume-building opportunity. Not adulthood either.” (Jenny Urich, 26:03)

• Simple, Shared Activities: Water games, group hobbies, casual play—all foster sibling, peer, and cross-generational bonds.

9. How To Get Started: The SPARK Acronym

• Seek novelty
• Pursue passions (even as a beginner—46:54)
• Approach playfully
• Reconnect with others
• Keep it going—build habits of fun

(From later in the book; discussed at 45:16–46:54.)

10. The Power of Vulnerability & Social Play

• Send Play Signals: Take a cue from animals. Smile, make eye contact, engage with others—even brief, seemingly “meaningless” interactions lower isolation.

  “There’s all sorts of research that shows even interactions that seem meaningless have the power to make us feel less isolated and alone.” (Jenny Urich, 51:22)

• Kids & Social Media: Today’s culture of perfectionism, comparison, and performance—amplified by social media and AI—makes true fun more elusive for young people and adults alike.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the challenge of breaking up with your phone:

  “It's not about dumping your phone... It's more about creating a healthy relationship with better boundaries.” (Catherine Price, 01:29)

• On the energy of group fun:

  “Wednesday nights quickly became a highlight of my week. Even more intriguingly, the class infused me with an exuberance that buoyed me for days.” (Jenny Urich quoting Catherine Price, 10:14)

• On the paradox of time:

  “Ironically, we get so burned out from working so much that when we do have some leisure time ... we end up wasting that time by doing things like scrolling through TikTok videos.” (Katherine Price, 21:44)

• On perfectionism and vulnerability:

  “If you're not willing to be a beginner, then you're kind of dead.” (Katherine Price, 47:05)

• What else would I have done?

  “What else would I have done that morning if I hadn't rowed? Written more emails?” (Jenny Urich summarizing Catherine Price, 58:24)

• On adults and play:

  “I don’t think adults play enough in general.” (Catherine Price, 44:16)

Important Timestamps

• 01:39: Catherine’s inspiration for writing about technology and fun
• 06:11: The energizing power of fun despite exhaustion
• 10:14: Guitar class as a turning point
• 19:19–22:14: The time value paradox and cultural attitudes
• 28:54–31:48: Story of “two balls”—simple, memorable group fun
• 38:01: Catherine’s three-part definition of true fun (playfulness, connection, flow)
• 46:54: Overcoming perfectionism and embracing beginner status
• 51:22: Social play signals—learning from animals, the importance of frequent, casual interactions
• 60:01–63:05: Tech leaders’ approach to parenting, trusting instincts about screen time
• 63:51: Catherine’s favorite outdoor childhood memory—summer camp and the “good enough” approach

Takeaways & Action Steps

• Reflect on Leisure: Identify your own “fake fun” habits and intentionally replace them with activities rich in playfulness, connection, and flow.
• Schedule Adult Fun: Seek regularly scheduled group activities led by others to bypass scheduling and motivation hurdles.
• Model Play for Kids: Prioritize unstructured play and resist the urge to turn children’s passions into achievements.
• Embrace Beginnerhood: Allow yourself and your kids the freedom to be beginners—true growth and joy starts here.
• Trust Your Instincts: If a technology or activity doesn’t feel right for your family, act on that feeling; don’t wait for proof.
• Send Out Play Signals: Small acts—smiles, greetings, spontaneous conversations—help reconnect us and lay groundwork for communal fun.
• Pursue the SPARK: Remember Catherine’s SPARK framework as a practical tool for adding more fun into your days.

🔗 Recommended Resources

• Catherine Price’s Substack: How to Feel Alive
• Books: How to Break Up With Your Phone, The Power of Fun, and upcoming The Amazing Generation with Jonathan Haidt
• More on outdoor play and tracking your time at 1000 Hours Outside

Final Thought:
Reclaiming fun is not just for children—it's crucial for adults and family well-being as well. The first step: notice what energizes you, begin as a beginner, and deliberately choose connection and play. Your future self, and your kids, will thank you.