Yes, it's a real change, but the entire world changed so much since my youth, I could play freely in the entire neighborhood, my kids didn't, I could play in the snow and skate on ice almost every winter, my kids first skated on ice outside when they were 7...
I don't like personal contact very much, it's just how I am so I'm ok with these changes you mentioned 😆and yes for young people it's different, but I think it's from all ages the world is changing isn't it? for the good OR the bad...