When people talk about how much better off kids were in the past, I remember stories from my father (who went to school in the 1960's). They involved drugs, knives, and bombs. I had it pretty good in the 1980's.
One man's drugs, knives, and bombs are another mans skateboards and Amiga 500s
Sounds like you had a pretty lame childhood to me, and in the 30 years since it's only become worse.
Much like panda bears in captivity, it is unusually difficult to give a human being a life that resembles what it evolved for, which mostly involves convincing other humans to back off the safetyism a little.
What dignity can be found in the life of the modern child?