When I was a kid we played outside all summer long and didn't come home until supper - maybe.
If our parents needed us they screamed out the window or called the neighbors.
I can remember fondly many days of wiffle ball, riding bikes and jumping makeshift ramps made of cinder blocks and plywood, hanging out in the woods, and burning hot wheels with lighter fluid -- okay, that last one might have just been me...but we all had a good time.
When it rained - it really sucked.
Today there are so many things to do inside that kids do not want to go outside. Between the internet, HDTV, and the XBOX, the outside world is just not that compelling I suppose. I don't even see kids going over their friends houses anymore, they play video games over the Net and use headphones to communicate while playing. Even when kids do go outside today, it is typically their parents driving them to organized sport and activities.
You also hear parents say, there are too many bad people out there today, it's just not safe. I think it is no worse percentage-wise than when we were kids, but the 24-hour news media has to cover things to death.
I would HATE to be a kid today. When do you get an opportunity to get away from your parents? School - that's it. You're in the house all day, you don't get to go hang with your friends, and when you play sports, your parents are there with you screaming at the referee.
You guys can keep your smartphones, video games, and Skype; I prefer hanging out doing nothing outside in the sunlight and fresh air and not begin tethered to everyone, everywhere.