> Would you allow an 8 year old to wander New York City unattended? I would hope that the answer is yes. This kind of reasoning (not to pick on the commenter

> Would you allow an 8 year old to wander New York City unattended? I would hope that the answer is yes. This kind of reasoning (not to pick on the commenter above) is troubling. People blame cellphones and social media. But what are they going to do once they put down their cellphones, if not go out? Should they stare at the walls? Interacting with strangers is a valuable experience. If we do not encourage children to interact with strangers, should we be surprised when they do not want to participate in civic activities as an adult?