Was society too lax in the 90s/00s or are we too careful/paranoid now?

[december2020]

Becoming a new parent recently I've been reflecting on my own childhood and what his childhood may be like.

Potentially, I partially see my childhood through rose tinted glasses but everything felt so much more carefree back then. You could cycle with your friends without worrying that someone would try jump you and steal your bike. You could walk with your friends to the shop and buy some candy, where you'd feel safe and your parents wouldn't worry.
The list goes on.

Yet, it feels like DS will never get to experience that side and innocence of childhood anymore.

So it made me wonder, is it that society really has changed over the decades and become more sinister and malicious?
Or is it a factor of 'always-on' news from TV, radio, social media, web where scare and shock factor sells and it's really ramped up and built that fear and paranoia into us?
Or was society really dumb (for lack of a better word) back then and didn't realise the peril?

I'd love to hear your thoughts?

One of the problems is that people confuse risk and probability.

The probability of something happening to your child is low. However, the risk factor is sky high.

I do think society was far too cavalier at one point and I’m glad it’s gone the other way.

I do think society was far too cavalier at one point and I’m glad it’s gone the other way.

It's gone too far the other way.

It's interesting that you say the 90s and 00s. I grew up in the 70s and early 80s, my sister was born at the end of the 80s and so grew up in the period you mention, and I would say things had become much more controlling by then.

Though that was North America and I feel like the UK may have maintained a more relaxed type of parenting for longer.

I think, on balance, that things are too careful now. It's damaging to children.

Some of the reasons are fairly straightforward - traffic is a big one. But people also became hyper-aware of things like kidnappings, which are actually extremely rare. Mainly due to changes in the news and media. So people tend to dwell too much on the harms of things like that, and not enough on the harms of removal of children's freedoms.

Another element is the rise of the two working parent family and also an increase in single parent families, so children spend more time in care facilities.

But I think it's pretty clear that we are seeing kids with more issues with obesity, with poorer problem solving skills, less independence and resilience, and things like that.

@RedWingBoots

In the area I live there are more cars and so more traffic. I was actually in 6th form very close to where I live so I know the traffic is worse. This means that children can't safely play out.

Also in the 90s/early 00s school heads weren't on top of parents if they decided their child who was 8 years+ could walk home on their own, and wait an hour or two on their own before an adult came back. I have nephews and nieces who were children then and allowed to do that. Roll on to the late 00s and beyond, and I have family and friends having fights with their school heads about allowing their 10 year old to walk home with their same age or slightly older sibling.

Something that might be another factor with this is an increase in liability culture.

It can be pretty bad. IN our schools system kids aren't even allowed to get off the school bus if a parent doesn't meet them until they are at least 10. Even if they are just a few houses away from their home.

It seems crazy to me as I used to walk a kilometre to school at age five - and I had to come home for lunch!