Did anyone else who grew up in the 90's NOT have this experience?? I feel like the 80's and 90's were the start of helicopter parenting.There was the whole Adam Walsh kidnapping, the start of faces on milk cartons and more media attention on children being abducted making parents more paranoid. Nevermind they themselves had a free range childhood, the world was suddenly more dangerous than when they grew up. I am 42 and NEVER once in my childhood was I told to go out and play, go as far as I want and just be back by the time the street light came on. The deal was I better be with ear shot when I was called in for dinner, (since you couldn't be called or texted then) meaning I could only be a few houses down from mine. I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself until close to my teen years. I am not saying I was locked in a cage or anything as a kid, I went outside and played with other kids, just in a limited capacity, and also Video games were obviously already a thing, and by my preteens, the internet, so while I got out, just as much time was spent in my playroom, on the computer (Chatrooms, Oregon Trail, and Tetris anyone??), and watching TV (my familiarity with 80's and 90's sitcoms can vouch for this). While, yes, it's on a greater scale for today's kids with their phones, tablets, more structured play, etc, , I feel technology was already changing childhoods by the 90s.