[GeekyBear]

> it was so much easier to hang out with my friends online than it was to coordinate with my parents to try and get travel to their house

The norm in the 70's was for younger kids to have multiple groups of friends, at least until they were old enough to ride their bike across town.

When you spent time with larger groups of kids, like at school, you could make friends based on shared interests.

After school, your friend group was based on proximity.

[bombcar]

I feel with larger school sizes and online capabilities we've lost the friendship of necessity - where you'd be friends with the kids on the block "because you had to" and there wasn't really any other option.

They might not be amazing friends, or life-long ones, but they were friends.

[GeekyBear]

Learning to get along with people you don't completely "vibe with" is an important life skill.