That's the beautiful thing about life: it's not a one-size-fits-all proposition. I'm sorry that the people you know got lost along the path, but that doesn't mean everyone does, nor does it mean most people do.
The best thing about this country used to be that you were free to live your life how you saw fit, and I was free to live mine the way I saw fit. Do you like living in a neighborhood of nosy neighbors?
As I said at the start, “as a conservative, I’m reluctant to restrict bad decisions by adults.” I’m entitled to think it’s generally a bad decision, and you’re entitled to disagree.