What a strange experience. I'm not sure exactly what this article was trying to convey, because the parent didn't seem to actually leave their kids to do their own thing for more than 20 minutes at a time before reverting back to television and devices. And rather than actually giving the kids the freedom we had when we were young, the author laments that this freedom can't exist (not sure why?). So this article really isn't about anything.
This is an experiment over five days. I think it was very sensible not trying to abruptly change the whole day for a ten and a five year old. That would be very stressful for them. Also the article is about that kids today are in a very shitty situation: they can't roam, because you as a parent get judged or worse (like people call the police, when they see kids unsupervised), and the house is full of so called smart devices, that are highly addictive. We in the western world created an very unhealthy environment for children and we need to change that as soon as we can.
My son went to a new farther school this year, it took nearly a year for my wife to get used to the fact that he goes there alone (bike / public transport). However I had to buy him a phone to know his location in order to ease my wife.
I'm not naturally worried, but i got contaminated by her stress.
I don't know where the stress comes from. I think it maybe maybe the lack of trusting other people: you do not trust that strangers help you
Well I'm in Europe (Romania) too and street crime is basically nonexistent where I live, yet I don't let my 11 years old kid commute home by himself. Problem is cars, he only has to make a mistake once and I can't afford that mistake.
I grew up in the countryside in the 80s, cars there were as rare as hen teeth at the time so entirely different situation. Also parents used to have 2-3 kids back then, I only have one so gotta pay extra care coze there's no backup :)
I suspect that part of the worry aculture around parents being overprotective of kids today (at least in the west and the U.S. in particular) comes from exactly what you mention, a prevalece of single-child homes with no backup so to speak, vs increased worry in general.
As European, it varies a bit per country, naturally not always without possible issues, and as a 1970's child back then the freedom was much bigger, still in general we still have the general attitude of not calling authorities just because kids are having fun on their own.
All the best, and maybe something for the 1980's US kids that I just watch recently from a stand up, that touches how US lost this culture.
"Why 70s & 80s Kids Rule: The Ultimate Guide" by Karen Morgan
We most certainly do give kids the same or more freedom. The kids just choose to use devices with that freedom. Society is trying to reverse out of it the best way we know how. Schools are smothering phones so the teachers can get back a shred of dignity and the kids can get an education. Now, if we could just be done with this chrome book/laptop garbage.
