Frank Furedi has written a couple of books about this (also about “paranoid parenting”).
Historically, fear of God was seen as crucial for a moral life, so a positive thing. Fear then becomes understood as pathological eg social phobia. Unpleasant experiences in childhood become institutional problems to be fixed not life challenges to develop skills for dealing with. What about riding a bike? Then problems of childhood eg bullying transfer to adulthood.
Epidemics of fear have always existed eg witch hunts but current one has been running since 1970s.
Spontaneity has been pathologised – sex must be negotiated. Safety has become a moral value, at expense of others eg courage, instead of just a good idea. Cowardice and prudence are now old fashioned terms, yet underscore the ability to face up to risk and manage it!