"A 2008 study found that media exposure explains why Americans, in particular, often see the rest of the world as dangerous Other research shows a link between the amount of crime reported on the news and the degree of fear people have over crime."

So we should go back to the 'good old days' and not report the crime? I guess ignorance is bliss. If there is more crime being reported in an area, that's a signal that it's more dangerous, and you should take precautions.

"Stranger abductions, the thing every parent imagines when they hesitate to let a 10-year-old walk to a friend’s house, were rare in 1985 and are rarer today."

It's the same with plane crashes. The problem is that it only has to happen one time for total devastation.

There are now grooming gangs in countries like the UK to worry about (which wasn't the case in the 80s and 90s). The Internet has made it much easier for predators to organize, share information, and get to your kids.

When I was 11, I was around people doing drugs, smoking, drinking, and lighting illegal fireworks off (nearly blew my fingers off a few times), all without my parents knowing.

The dangers were always there. Society just chose to ignore them in the those days.