Ignore all the "the problem is you" crap, that's not why I shared this article. It's a society-wide issue.The usual points:
-parents think it's too dangerous for their kids to roam
-curfews, loitering laws
-fewer truly public spaces and more regimented after-school activities
Better points that reddit added:
-suburban sprawl lengthens the distance between kids; no more neighborhood atmosphere
-gas prices
-a lot of entertainment 18+ these days
-this leaves underage drinking and drugs as attractive options
Picture this: You're a 14 year old kid. Not old enough for a license, too old to think hanging out with the parents on weekend nights is fun.
It's 8:30pm. Where do you go? What do you do? There's the mall, but that's not necessarily appealing all the time, because there isn't a lot to actually do there, and it closes at 9 in most places. The movies are an option, but how is that different from sitting at home on your computer? At least there you aren't spending $8 for popcorn and you can chat to your friends at the same time. Arcades don't really exist anymore thanks to the power of modern gaming. A lot of outdoorsy activities are going to be dark at this time.
Even a 17 year old with a car... there just aren't many places to go unless you live in an urban area with a lot of culture. And many of those places cater to the alcohol drinking crowd.
This all more or less rings true to me inre: growing up semi-suburban. I was lucky enough to have some walking distance friends, friends with shitty cars, friends with "cool" parents etc. Nonetheless I ran into all of the problems above. It's not enough to be an open-minded, adventurous teenager anymore -- you have to manage to network with the three other people your age in your zipcode that you might really connect with. A lot harder now. Potentially a lot easier with AIM and Xbox live.
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I should note, this post was submitted here last month by minimum_wage, but the discussion there was more about the parenting aspect of this. I'd rather get your opinion on the following question: is it true that it's harder for teenagers to be social offline in the 21st century because of fundamental changes in society over the last 30 years? What are your personal experiences?