Free‑range childhood disappears

Children today experience far less unsupervised outdoor play and independent mobility than previous generations, driven by parental fear, liability concerns, urban design, and digital replacements for play. That shrinkage of informal autonomy reshapes how children learn risk‑management, independence, and social negotiation outside adult supervision. — If children no longer gain independence through free play, society may face long-run effects on civic competence, inequality (different families can afford different freedom), and mental health.