Putnam believed that the single biggest risk factor was the growing amount of time people spent alone.
Even back when he wrote Bowling Alone —before smartphones and apps—teens were solitary for three-and-a-half hours per day. Adolescents spent more time alone than with their family.
For the first time in history, people were growing up... See more
But because adults conceal their flaws, and at the same time insist on high standards of behavior for kids, a lot of kids grow up feeling they fall hopelessly short. They walk around feeling horribly evil for having used a swearword, while in fact most of the adults around them are doing much worse things.
A great way to think about parenting: Think of it as executing it from a place of where you’re the leader, leading from the heart with compassion, all the while supporting your child to be their best self