There has been a worrying shift of community spaces/hubs towards families & children.

I feel like no one else has noticed or brought this up before so I'm unsure how well this post will be received. But in the past 20 years or so, community spaces and events are much more family-oriented, which sounds great for children & families, but is now perhaps going too far.

Libraries used to be quiet spaces for young adults to study, and now they are family community hubs, expanding their children's sections and have playplaces and events directed towards children. Community halls. Festivals. Open house events. All are advertising their events as "Bring the whole family (young children)!" Essentially, if it's not explicitly adult, like a bar or a nightclub, it's almost certainly a family-oriented space/event.

Of course, you're technically allowed to go there as a solo adult, but it can be uncomfortable with families avoiding you and treating you with suspicion - especially if you're a man - and with children running around & screaming... So where does this leave young adults without families? In bars & nightclubs... or at home. This is worrying. This is contributing to the loneliness epidemic & young adult substance abuse.

I don't know what we can do about it. There are some alternatives, like university libraries or certain hobby meetups, but this cultural shift was huge.