A reflection of modern life maybe? For a start, we now live in an area where people are so dominated by their cars and my wife and I know local children (and adults) who will scream and wail if they are asked to walk anywhere! Lazy, not sure, is it more to do with the possibility that people generally, lead far less interesting lives than perhaps they did before? I know they go on package hols and so on, all very safe, no risks, eat and drink, thats what their lives seem to be about. HOME entertainment today is very dominant, take aways, everything is at hand, why do anything when we have a screen to look at while we munch away the hors. I can waste time and do, in the evenings (watching films, etc) but rarely when its daylight. Being alive is precious now that I am older, very precious indeed!
There seems to be that other trend as well, the desire to be 'safe', to be free of worry, to not suffer even from cold, we must always be 'happy' and so on and oh yes, the problem of darkness and that other anxiety, the WEATHER! Its so terrible that yesterdays weather was different than it is today and to be so anxious that tomorrow might be different as well. Sorry, I'm on my soapbox today.
In my pub I am seen as a weirdo, at 72 likes hiking, mountains, moors, weather and sleeping in a tent. A right nutter and he walks alone, a double nutter!