Back in 1977, in a famously troubling experiment, researchers asked 6- to 10-year-olds to approach strangers and say, "I'm lost. Can you call my house?" In small towns, 72 percent of the adults said yes; in cities, just 46 percent. ("So what's your problem, kid? I'm lost too," said a passerby.) One explanation is that urban types tend to believe that the authorities, not individuals, should handle social problems. The other is "information overload" -- we shut down when our senses are overstimulated.

6 Surprising Ways City Life Affects You Tuesday, October 1, 2013 @ 8:47pm