Here’s a fascinating observation from Alexis Madrigal at The Atlantic. The adoption of cellphones during the 1990s may have been responsible for the drop in crime:
It’s practically an American pastime to blame cellphones for all sorts of societal problems, from distracted parents to faltering democracies. But the devices might have also delivered a social silver lining: a de-escalation of the gang turf wars that tore up cities in the 1980s.
The intriguing new theory suggests that the arrival of mobile phones made holding territory less important, which reduced intergang conflict and lowered profits from drug sales.
Is it also possible that criminal gangs have now learned to use smartphones in their activities and that’s the reason that crime is rising again. What’s the relative role between technology and demographics?
Not mentioned is the large increase in online gaming among young men in the last thirty years. In fact, when young men are caught shoplifting, games are often the target. In takes up much of their time and energy.