I see some truth to the article. Maybe it was my small time upbringing but more was probably the lack of the technology that's ubiquitous today (primarily the cell phone). Helicopter parenting wasn't technically feasible to the degree it is today when children as young as seven or eight have their own cell phones. Likewise we didn't have the internet and 24 hour cable news pumping fear of The Other into our home day and night. Certain there were dangers out there like there's always been but it wasn't front and center in our daily lives. We walked to school (when we lived in town) and would now be called "latchkey kids". When we lived in the country we rode our bicycles five miles to the local stock pond to fish for bass and bluegills. We went out unsupervised with our rifles and shotguns (!) to walk the draws hunting rabbits, etc.

There are probably rural areas where this still occurs but much of what was normal childhood experience would now result in a call from CPS. It's a very different world now. Sure, I'm glad I don't need an iron lung and until the anti-vaxxers ruin it at least many childhood diseases are gone.

It seems like we should be able to keep the best part of the freedom we used to have while enjoying the advances we have today. That balance is hard to find in our post-9/11 surveillance state.