Why are Dutch children the world’s happiest? A teenager weighs in

I really resonate with this article as a parent and really want to give more independence but I think car brain really does get in the way. We cycle to school and people have bigger cars on smaller roads, don't give enough space, park dangerously and just don't seem to care about cyclists or pedestrians. Even cycling home today by myself I almost got knocked off so how can I let my child face that by themselves? It's a vicious circle them that more people drive and the problem gets worse. Even going to the local park we have to cross or cycle on roads at some point. Most of the other parents drive, even if living really close. I've also had parents "telling me off" or commenting for letting him cycle on the road in front of me. Feel like I can't win.

My high school classmate Cal commented on this anxiety once when we were talking about how Gen Z apparently parties less. “People are too scared for their kids to go and do stuff, and I think, as a result (we) as a generation are too scared to do stuff now.”