kdpierre:
So, considering the best sci-fi stories have their roots in reality so that the more far out aspects seem more believable, such stories while seemingly more technologically plausible are now less believable due to who we are now as a people.
Well, cultural values do change and evolve, after all, plus the beliefs of modern culture concerning CP are quite different in varied parts of the world, and indeed even in contrasting areas of the U.S.A.
It's been decades since I read
The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov, yet I do seem to recall that one family function of the humanoid robotic servants on the planet Aurora was to corporally chastise misbehaving children, although it's merely mentioned in passing.
That novel was copyrighted in 1983, well after 'permissive' parenting became popular in westernized nations... --C.K.