The abandonment of socialization in favor of online is more of a mixed bag - if the kids weren't satisfied with the outcome, they wouldn't push so hard into it. CB radio was big back in the late '70s, but not with teenagers. That's an alternate form of communication, too. So there's something about the Internet that works for kids well enough that they're willing to forego the social stuff.

That's a point I hadn't thought of and that certainly seems true.

Totally agree. Basic problem is most people aren't very thoughtful. Statistics that point out that we're living in ever-safer times are really easy to come by. I'ma let my kid wander free and wild but I know that's gonna make me a total weirdo.

You know, my dad was very much a "let the boy make his mistakes" kind of dad and I thank him for it. Someday, if kids are in the cards, I plan on being the same kind of dad. I hope that more people will see the wisdom in letting their kids get scrapes and get into things. The best lessons come from making mistakes. Human beings are not nearly as delicate as our current society would have us believe. To curb a kid's curiosity is to remove their claws and I really think that kids need those claws.

For sure. But pragmatically speaking, by the time you hit college you're at the cusp of adulthood. The damage has been done. The experiences of college do not shape the behaviors of teen years.

Yes, that's true. What do you think though, about this "prolonged adolescence" that some are worried about? In some ways, I think that if people are living longer and expected to stay in school longer, that the desire for a prolonged adolescence makes sense from the point of view of a college kid who is experiencing freedom for the first time in their lives.