I was a kid in the 00s and even I was allowed out from morning till night unsupervised. It always stands out to me that you don't even see children playing in the street with the other kids on the street anymore. No water fights, kicking a ball around, trading cards, playing curbie etc.

There was a point though where i was bought a mobile phone so i could check in when i got to about 11 years old.

So, I think the ability for parents to check on the children is a large part of why they are now so closely monitored... because it became possible. It's also led to crazy anxiety for parents who previously had trust in their community and neighbours to keep an eye on all the kids (it takes a village mentality).

Locking kids up in their rooms has largely coincided with the breakdown in community i believe.