How are children in car-centric societies supposed to be independent when they need adults to drive them to places?
Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
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Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#12Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#13How are children in car-centric societies supposed to be independent when they need adults to drive them to places?
They could bike, but how many neighborhoods are safely bikeable?
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
definitely not late stage capitalism in action
Can we just all agree it's the people and ideology we don't like messing everything up here? As long as we don't get more specific we can find some common ground.
The atomization of American society caused by the decline of church attendance, and the decline of unions.
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#15How are children in car-centric societies supposed to be independent when they need adults to drive them to places?
You should read the paper. That's basically what it's about.
eg. car oriented neighbourhoods mean kids don't get to play as much, and that's a factor which is independent of economic/social status.
But also other socio-economic factors can lead to similar outcomes (eg. underfunded schools, longer work hours for parents, and the like).
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#16How are children in car-centric societies supposed to be independent when they need adults to drive them to places?
They aren't, sadly. We moved to the Netherlands and seeing kids out on their own is great. It makes me for kids who lack this freedom though.
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#17How are children in car-centric societies supposed to be independent when they need adults to drive them to places?
They could bike, but how many neighborhoods are safely bikeable?
Every one I've ever seen.
Most places I've seen, yes in the US, have bike paths, and houses are typically in a separate area from main thoroughfares. Why wouldn't a kid bike to a friend's house, or a local park?
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
They could bike, but how many neighborhoods are safely bikeable?
Every one I've ever seen. Most places I've seen, yes in the US, have bike paths, and houses are typically in a separate area from main thoroughfares. Why wouldn't a kid bike to a friend's house, or a local park?
Not all bike paths exist in quiet suburbs. Some exist along busy main roads, which make them dangerous even for adult riders.
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#19The Coddling of the American Mind is a good book on this topic https://www.thecoddling.com/ .
It's on a different topic. ie. That if people speak up for themselves, or they want to address unfairness or inequality in their society, it's because their parents hugged them when they cried as babies, instead of ignoring them, or whatever you're supposed to do to "toughen them up" (ie. turn them into terrified adults, washed up in middle age, who see any new youth movement as a life-threatening trend that must be stopped).
Re: Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in child mental health
#20Parents shuffling around kids from activity to activity in their minivans is the bane of present day kids. The problem is that cities are so car centric. A good way of alleviating some of it is to do at least 3 hours of independent self play a day.