Riff: The Cost of Safetyism

I largely agree with stevemagness (Steve) post on how we are making the new generation weaker and dumber (in some areas) by preventing their proper development, I’m just not so sure it is for the reasons Steve is citing. For example, part of me thinks that yes we are living in safer times, but that might be precisely because we are shrinking the danger-opportunity by removing kids from a lot off activities and places: there are less child-abductions (are there though?) now then 100 years ago because there are less kids, and of those kids, even less are alone on the street - this is why it is probably safer now and not because child-abducters have magically disappeared. We don’t let kids prepare their snacks, or dress themselves, or do whatever by themselves, not because of protective instincts (no one in their right mind considers a sandwich an hazard) but because it is faster and more convinient to do it for them - if you have kids you know exactly what I’m talking about. I do…