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I was thinking about this the other day. Ironically this is the safest time in all of history to let kids do this. Crime is historically very low and our kids w

I was thinking about this the other day. Ironically this is the safest time in all of history to let kids do this. Crime is historically very low and our kids want to carry around magical devices that lets us know where they are at all times and contact them instantly. This should be a golden age, yet we've turned it into jail. What gives everyone? Edit: And by "what gives" I mean literally, I live in the US and have children ages 7-12 and I don't let them do these things solely because I'm afraid of government busy-bodies. Not crime, not injury, not abduction. I'm frankly and bluntly afraid of the limitless power a bored bureaucrat will help himself/herself to over my family if given the slightest reason. That's what gives for me anyway.

bluthru 10y ago
>Ironically this is the safest time in all of history to let kids do this. Well what's the cause and effect here? Maybe it happens less often today just because there are less kids outside.
- clarkmoody 10y ago
  There is definitely a vicious cycle: * Media hypes a tragedy concerning a child * Parents on the margin keep their kids indoors more often * Streets have less children * Automobiles become less vigilant / Criminals concentrate on the fewer remaining kids outside * Tragedy happens again
manmal 10y ago
Crime is not the problem, traffic is. I grew up in a blind alley, and the whole town was really low in traffic. I started cruising around with my bike together with the neighbors at age 7, and we met a car every 10 minutes, tops. They slowed down to a stop, mostly, when they saw us. Fast forward, we are living in a city of 30k citizens now, though on the outskirts; there is a major road about 200m away, and although we have a tight speed limit in our area (30kmh), I'm not sure we can allow roaming around before age 10. Cats are run over all the time here, people just don't look before going around corners. And then there's the occasional report (or rumor?) of people trying to spirit children away from their parents in the local mall. That being said, maybe I felt a lot safer as a kid in the same circumstances.
- jackmott 10y ago
  more cars bigger cars faster cars cars in a hurry because they live 1 hour from work and hate life
  - Groxx 10y ago
    Also more soundproof cars. You can't hear kids playing two feet away in modern vehicles if the windows are up.
    - mseebach 10y ago
      You also can't hear kids playing two feet away in 40 year old cars, windows or not, because they are too noisy. And if you rely on hearing for detecting kids, especially two feet away, you're going to have a bad time, even with the windows down.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- jessriedel 10y ago
  Yes. Everyone is falling over themselves in this thread to bemoan the sensationalist media and irrational fear of kidnapping, but cars are a dramatic difference in the risks of letting children wander that just didn't exist 100 years ago.
  - throwanem 10y ago
    I do not believe there are likely to be many centenarians among those here disagreeing with the idea that daily life is so much more deadly now as to justify the degree of restriction under discussion.
  - mseebach 10y ago
    > but cars are a dramatic difference in the risks of letting children wander that just didn't exist 100 years ago. 100 years ago, sure[1] -- but there's also a dramatic difference in behaviour from 40 years ago, and traffic is significantly safer today than then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reported_Road_Casualties_Great_Britain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reported_Road_Casualties_Great... 1: I'm sure more kids flat out died from catching untreatable infections when playing outside 100 years ago than are even mildly hurt in traffic today.
metaphorm 10y ago
> This should be a golden age, yet we've turned it into jail gilded cage. freedom means not _needing_ these complications in our lives. the technology is potentially liberating but our culture is not a liberated culture.
leslieann7579 10y ago
I COMPLETELY AGREE!! I have been the victim of slander, sadly, so people are right to worry about the state getting all up in one's supposed personal business. Ask any parent of special needs children..State children services getting involved over some BS from the schools.I've seen that situation more than once.:-\

bluthru 10y ago

>Ironically this is the safest time in all of history to let kids do this. Well what's the cause and effect here? Maybe it happens less often today just because there are less kids outside.

clarkmoody 10y ago
There is definitely a vicious cycle: * Media hypes a tragedy concerning a child * Parents on the margin keep their kids indoors more often * Streets have less children * Automobiles become less vigilant / Criminals concentrate on the fewer remaining kids outside * Tragedy happens again

manmal 10y ago

Crime is not the problem, traffic is. I grew up in a blind alley, and the whole town was really low in traffic. I started cruising around with my bike together with the neighbors at age 7, and we met a car every 10 minutes, tops. They slowed down to a stop, mostly, when they saw us. Fast forward, we are living in a city of 30k citizens now, though on the outskirts; there is a major road about 200m away, and although we have a tight speed limit in our area (30kmh), I'm not sure we can allow roaming around before age 10. Cats are run over all the time here, people just don't look before going around corners. And then there's the occasional report (or rumor?) of people trying to spirit children away from their parents in the local mall. That being said, maybe I felt a lot safer as a kid in the same circumstances.

jackmott 10y ago
more cars bigger cars faster cars cars in a hurry because they live 1 hour from work and hate life
- Groxx 10y ago
  Also more soundproof cars. You can't hear kids playing two feet away in modern vehicles if the windows are up.
  - mseebach 10y ago
    You also can't hear kids playing two feet away in 40 year old cars, windows or not, because they are too noisy. And if you rely on hearing for detecting kids, especially two feet away, you're going to have a bad time, even with the windows down.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
jessriedel 10y ago
Yes. Everyone is falling over themselves in this thread to bemoan the sensationalist media and irrational fear of kidnapping, but cars are a dramatic difference in the risks of letting children wander that just didn't exist 100 years ago.
- throwanem 10y ago
  I do not believe there are likely to be many centenarians among those here disagreeing with the idea that daily life is so much more deadly now as to justify the degree of restriction under discussion.
- mseebach 10y ago
  > but cars are a dramatic difference in the risks of letting children wander that just didn't exist 100 years ago. 100 years ago, sure[1] -- but there's also a dramatic difference in behaviour from 40 years ago, and traffic is significantly safer today than then. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reported_Road_Casualties_Great_Britain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reported_Road_Casualties_Great... 1: I'm sure more kids flat out died from catching untreatable infections when playing outside 100 years ago than are even mildly hurt in traffic today.

metaphorm 10y ago

> This should be a golden age, yet we've turned it into jail gilded cage. freedom means not _needing_ these complications in our lives. the technology is potentially liberating but our culture is not a liberated culture.

leslieann7579 10y ago

I COMPLETELY AGREE!! I have been the victim of slander, sadly, so people are right to worry about the state getting all up in one's supposed personal business. Ask any parent of special needs children..State children services getting involved over some BS from the schools.I've seen that situation more than once.:-\