Reply #24: There seem to be several things going on here.

[CBHagman]

First, I would agree with the author (I think it was Winifred Gallagher in the book Just the Way You Are) who pointed out that in the great scheme of things, American society is in many respects more civilized than it has ever been. Racism, sexism, homophobia, and religious bigotry are far more unacceptable than they were decades ago, though we haven't completely eradicated them. Our expectations regarding our quality of life have risen (Read The Good Old Days -- They Were Terrible! as a surefire nostalgia-killer).

That said, I worry that in the United States many of us are losing our sense of boundaries and our sense of community. Some of that may stem from our infatuation with technology, as people isolate themselves with their iPods and chat away on cellphones, oblivious to their surroundings and even to other people.

There are changes, too, in societal expectations for children and even young adults. Witness the helicopter parent, children riding in strollers when they are no longer toddlers, adult children remaining financially dependent on their parents well past college, etc. Mind you, not everyone chooses to do these things, but their prevalence makes for a society different from the one I grew up in. Children just weren't given that much attention or that many material goods when I was growing up, and anyone who got bad grades or wound up in trouble with an adult expected there would be hell to pay when Mom and Dad found out.

Yes, I know Gen Y parents who are strict with their kids or became self-sufficient at a fairly young age. We don't need to tar the whole society with the same brush. I'm merely suggested that between technology and smaller families (and hence greater attention paid to kids), the trends are shifting.