A lot of this is just the loss of proper third spaces where kids can get outside. Now if you and your friends are walking around the mall, you get security hassling you. Hell, even if you’re just in a park or wandering your neighborhood, cops/rangers/randoms will give you shit if you don’t have a specific reason to be there. Don’t even think of trying to hang out at your school after hours, or using their fields/playgrounds to play on.
Yes, some of it IS cultural. But at least from my N=4 between my nieces and step nieces, kids really enjoy playing outside weather permitting. It’s just that they don’t have places to do that. Sure, you might have a park in your neighborhood - does it have sidewalk access? Sure, your kids might have bikes or scooters or skates - can they safely ride them without getting turned into a speed bump by a high-line truck or SUV?
A lot of this is just the loss of proper third spaces where kids can get outside. Now if you and your friends are walking around the mall, you get security hassling you. Hell, even if you’re just in a park or wandering your neighborhood, cops/rangers/randoms will give you shit if you don’t have a specific reason to be there. Don’t even think of trying to hang out at your school after hours, or using their fields/playgrounds to play on.
Yes, some of it IS cultural. But at least from my N=4 between my nieces and step nieces, kids really enjoy playing outside weather permitting. It’s just that they don’t have places to do that. Sure, you might have a park in your neighborhood - does it have sidewalk access? Sure, your kids might have bikes or scooters or skates - can they safely ride them without getting turned into a speed bump by a high-line truck or SUV?