[tasssko]

This is a sweeping generalisation, I bet there are parts of the USA that are thriving and communities that are booming. What we need is more clarity about what is the root cause of the problem.

The motivation for my comment is we see similar trends in all developed countries and the symptoms are identical so calling out this issue as being USA is a missed opportunity to focus on the problem.

My follow up would be which people and communities are most affected ?

[m_mueller]

As a Swiss, when I see that constant supervision is mandated in many US states until 12 years old, then I have to think that there's more than just isolated communities there where it's going wrong. You basically have laws that make anything other than what we call helicopter parenting illegal.

[_trampeltier]

But even here in switzerland.

For ex. we played cooking on my grandmothers house on a small toy kitchen where you have to use "META Tabletten" to make a fire. On my parents house we coocked with small children electric plates (10cm or less diameter). The panes where just large enough for an egg or so.

Today it is possible to buy large toy kitchen, but on no of them you really can cook. There are just no real children kitchen anymore .. to dangerous.

[m_mueller]

I remember those too. I still think there's a difference between making kids toys a bit safer and literally taking away their time and space to flourish and replace it with some insane adult-mandated schedule, and then have f-ing Jira boards with your kids as recently discussed here.

[neuronic]

As a European who spent more than half a decade in the US, this is the US in general. Not just with children. The entire society is build as if its members are too ignorant/not educated enough to follow even basic principles or etiquette.

It's like instead of education the society revolves around babysitting.

[atemerev]

I live in Geneva, where constant supervision is also required until 12 years old. Here in the French-speaking cantons, the attitude and regulations are different (even within the same country).

[JeanMarcS]

I completely agree with you.

What happens in the USA frequently happens in western countries a bit later.

I actually live in Ireland and I’m so surprised everytime I see parents giving their todlers a smartphone with a cartoon on it to keep them quiet.

And the same with kids. There even are tablets in mc donald’s !

And recently, Gardia (the police) stated that they gonna start alerting childcare if they find kids playing outside with no adult watching !

That’s not the way I raise my kids at all. Luckily we are in a house with a big garden and trees.

But, at least in Western Europe, we are sadly following this path..