Childhood seems to have been better in the past, yes. My Boomer parents had pick-up baseball and hockey games with the neighbourhood kids outside. I went off on my bike and to the playground with my siblings, wandered through the woods at my grandparents' alone, or went to visit friends. I allow my own children to do similar things (when they're not in swimming, judo, etc.), but they never see the other children on the street to play with.
Causes? Over-scheduling by parents, excessive concern about safety, screens are more interesting, there are just fewer kids around overall.
(Yes, there are certainly ways in which childhood has improved in the last fifty years as well — but overall? And yes, my comments aren't necessarily applicable outside of Canada. I'm referring to my own nostalgia.)
@mpjgregoire my ten year old meets up with kids in the park to play soccer. It's a few blocks away from our house. When I let him go to his friends house, he often meets other friends on the way.
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