Same here (permit at 15 in 1979, license at 16 in 1980). But we didn’t have all the amenities at home, just one phone, malls were fairly new and not close.
My son plays video games with his friends online during Covid. They are having a blast, even their in person school is only meeting 2 or 3 days a week (every other Wednesday). First half of the alphabet goes Mon & Thurs, second half goes Tues & Fri and they each go alternating Wednesdays.
They do hang out on some weekends and still do traditional things.
Licensing is at fault:
I can remember a time when Chevy and Ford model cars dominated the model and toy market. Product placement helped sell a lot of them. Well, in model cars it was already beginning. The companies like A.M.T. and Monogram were having to pay a small fee to produce certain models.
Then the world went Bonkers. Licensing was demanded for things in model form that had been public Domain for years. Planes were hit hard, Ships weeell. Now, Cars, Oh Boy! They got nailed with exorbitant fees for Movie and T.V cars! Next thing you know the fees for a model of a certain race car( No matter the type) got so high It was cheaper to do something else.
Licensing is not illegal, But to me in some cases it should be. I mean it seems to be rather unfair to demand fees for say model ships and planes that our Taxpayer dollars have already paid for! I don’t believe Bell aircraft for instance should be able to collect licensing for say the Early Choppers from the Korean war period. They were around in model form for years already. Enough !!