Comment by paulryanrogers

> It is their entire friend group and becomes their identity.

This sounds horrific. I did little leagues, grew bored (and nearsighted), randomly played outside for hours, did videogames (sometimes obsessively), built "forts" inside and out, went to / hosted parties, got into trouble, made amends (usually), family vacations, etc. Over identifying with groups and things seems crazy to me.

Maybe I'm overcompensating for my parent's (and at times my own) religious fervor. So much emotional investment seems unhinged.

Hopefully my kids can learn to enjoy their childhood. There will be plenty of time for serious commitments when they're adults.