I would theorize part of it is boredom and specifically fighting it. When I was very young, there were only a few channels on television. I could read some book

I would theorize part of it is boredom and specifically fighting it. When I was very young, there were only a few channels on television. I could read some books, watch tv, play with my toys, but that was about it as far as entertaining myself. Today, I have plenty of things to fight boredom and to socialize without leaving the house, as do my kids. When you are bored a large percentage of the time, you seek ways to alleviate boredom, such as going to events, hanging out with friends, hosting parties, etc. I think a lot of people don't realize how boring life was as early as the 1980s for most people. I can't imagine how boring things were prior to that. Another reason is just the fear people have today, facilitated by the news and politicians. I'm sure it plays some sort of role. There was a lot of fear peddling in the 1980s too.