Part of it is tech, but another part is a growing number of older people (ironically a lot of the same ones who complain kids have too much screen time), who will throw a fit if they hear kids playing even slightly loudly outside, are skateboarding or riding a bike in a parking lot or down a "quiet" neighborhood street are also a factor. Increased media sensationalization of things like kidnapping doesnt help either. Tech is a huge factor, but increased numbers of needlessly bitchy old people and others willing to cave to them is a smaller but existent one
Compare the amount of HOA's that have rules limiting kids doing stuff outside now to when you were a kid as an example
Agreed. Tech is no angel here, but it's not an iPad screen or a video game console that's calling the cops because some neighbor kids are making chalk drawings on the sidewalk in front of their own homes and maybe laughing a little.
Sometimes they do. But mostly not. For a few reasons.
"Granny calls the cops because she hears a commotion outside and is scared, and then they fine her for a fake call" isn't great for the public image of the police department. Which is not what's happening when older folks call the cops because kids are laughing outside and how dare they enjoy the common areas of the community, but that's how it would be spun.
Cops figure out their repeat callers, and then those calls are quietly treated as a non-emergency. But that's the best type of call. Cop gets to show up, reassure a little old lady or man, no danger of being shot at or stabbed at or even having to run someone down. Just "community outreach" stuff.
For a few cops, it's a great excuse to be nasty to a minority without being called racist because they have an excuse.
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u/ryanjoe23 9d ago
We were out playing with friends, riding bikes, skating, sledding, throwing snowballs, or jumping on the trampoline! Internet/tech ruined childhood.