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This is an interesting hypothesis. I can definitely see this being true outside of major urban centers. Public transit seems to be the remedy for teenagers does

This is an interesting hypothesis. I can definitely see this being true outside of major urban centers. Public transit seems to be the remedy for teenagers doesn't it? When I was a kid, my parents had to drive me everywhere, and I'm thankful they did! I would have had zero friends otherwise.

sandworm101 8y ago
Are kids allowed to take public transit anymore? The parents I know, admittedly all in the suburbs, drive them to school. Allowing kids on public transport seems to have disappeared along with allowing them to walk to school.
dorchadas 8y ago
I'm from outside a major urban center, and I don't really see it being true. Yes, those things are gone, but cars are extremely common, and it's unusual that someone doesn't get one at 16, especially if they're the oldest sibling and can take the younger ones to school, etc. And even when people wreck, they're generally looking for new ones fairly quickly. And this is in a rural area with 20% of the population below the poverty line. I do think smartphones are a lot of the problem. The kids have grown up not having to interact with anyone, so they rarely do. And they also don't know how, since they never had to learn. It's funny, as you can usually tell which students got their phones first from how they interact with other students. And they still do hang out together a decent amount. Going to school sporting events, playing Fortnite at each other's houses, going out to eat, or even partying each weekend. I see the loneliness issue creeping up more in the urban areas for the reasons listed above, actually. Or with those who grow up in an area and then leave it. Even if they come back, not all their friends will, and the people who stayed will have vastly different life experiences, which makes it difficult to make friends. While I do see smartphones being an issue, as here kids don't really want to talk with each other but just be on their phones, even when "hanging out". That's what increases loneliness. Despite hanging out and doing stuff together, they're not interacting with each other nearly as much, nor on as deep a level.
- sandworm101 8y ago
  Not only do the kids not know how to interact, they are repeatedly told that personal interactions are dangerous. Today's kids have grown up with concepts of gangs and mutual accountability. They fear being held responsible when something happens. Relations between the sexes, particularly for young boys, also look like minefields. The line between romantic rejection, and the filing of an incident report, starts looking very slim. So the boys avoid the girls, and everyone avoids unregulated group activities. Playing fortnight is safe. There is nothing you can do in fortnight that will result in the police interviewing anyone. Asking a girl out is risky. Meeting a bunch of other teenagers in a field is downright dangerous.

sandworm101 8y ago

Are kids allowed to take public transit anymore? The parents I know, admittedly all in the suburbs, drive them to school. Allowing kids on public transport seems to have disappeared along with allowing them to walk to school.

dorchadas 8y ago

I'm from outside a major urban center, and I don't really see it being true. Yes, those things are gone, but cars are extremely common, and it's unusual that someone doesn't get one at 16, especially if they're the oldest sibling and can take the younger ones to school, etc. And even when people wreck, they're generally looking for new ones fairly quickly. And this is in a rural area with 20% of the population below the poverty line. I do think smartphones are a lot of the problem. The kids have grown up not having to interact with anyone, so they rarely do. And they also don't know how, since they never had to learn. It's funny, as you can usually tell which students got their phones first from how they interact with other students. And they still do hang out together a decent amount. Going to school sporting events, playing Fortnite at each other's houses, going out to eat, or even partying each weekend. I see the loneliness issue creeping up more in the urban areas for the reasons listed above, actually. Or with those who grow up in an area and then leave it. Even if they come back, not all their friends will, and the people who stayed will have vastly different life experiences, which makes it difficult to make friends. While I do see smartphones being an issue, as here kids don't really want to talk with each other but just be on their phones, even when "hanging out". That's what increases loneliness. Despite hanging out and doing stuff together, they're not interacting with each other nearly as much, nor on as deep a level.

sandworm101 8y ago
Not only do the kids not know how to interact, they are repeatedly told that personal interactions are dangerous. Today's kids have grown up with concepts of gangs and mutual accountability. They fear being held responsible when something happens. Relations between the sexes, particularly for young boys, also look like minefields. The line between romantic rejection, and the filing of an incident report, starts looking very slim. So the boys avoid the girls, and everyone avoids unregulated group activities. Playing fortnight is safe. There is nothing you can do in fortnight that will result in the police interviewing anyone. Asking a girl out is risky. Meeting a bunch of other teenagers in a field is downright dangerous.