This phenomenon is also very pronounced in China, mostly due to urbanization I think. When my parents or grandparents were still children, most of them live in

This phenomenon is also very pronounced in China, mostly due to urbanization I think. When my parents or grandparents were still children, most of them live in small towns or countryside, where facilities are far away and main mode of communication is walking or cycling. There was nothing wrong with travelling far distance as a child, because there was not much danger. Also, there wasn't really any alternatives to travelling alone if your house is 2km away from the school or kids-playing-place and your parents have better things to do than sending you there. Now most children grow up in cities, where cars and large density of population can both pose danger to children wandering around. Plus parents will just drive their kids to school which costs only a few minutes.