FWIW, as a very early GenXer that survived raising a couple of millennials, there will always be those fairly pointless generational arguments used to point fingers at whatever societal issues of the day might be. Whether it's been about music, hair length, clothing style, or Ford vs Chevy, every generation has it's "these kids nowadays" and the "those old farts" comments. That'll never change.
Every generation has had a hand in it. It comes from the freedoms we have that were so painstakingly fought for. We're all taught to think and fend for ourselves. Go get your dream. Well the good and not so great consequences of that is that we all can and do think for ourselves.
No matter what your generation label is, think about all that's changed in your lifetime. For me it was small farms, single family incomes, chores to do morning and night, and hell bent on just being kid until you were called for supper. No cell phones or computers. No 24 hour cartoons or video games. Can I honestly tell myself that I wouldn't have partaken had they been available? Of course not.
By the time I was raising my own rascals, society had changed enough that those things I grew up knowing and doing were already past. Well crap. I can't raise them exactly like I had it because it no longer exists. No new parent has any experience. We all just do the best we can with what we feel is "right" at the time and try raise thoughtful, respectful human beings that we hope will contribute to society.
So you do everything you can until they hit puberty and you suddenly become the biggest idiot on the planet. Then what? By the time they've graduated from high school, they spent the last couple of years believing they're adults capable of taking on the world and just trying to get laid. By that point you've pushed the roller coaster to the top and all you can do is hang on and maybe lean into some of the corners.
Enter 24 hour access to cell phones and social media. If there is anything that can and will f up the best laid parenting efforts, well, there they are. I can't really fault them for forming their own opinions and expressing them when that's what I tried to instill. I am very thankful that both of mine ended up being very good productive people but that certainly doesn't mean we agree on everything. I can't say the same for some of the other parents my age who can barely have a conversation with their children. That's just sad.
Anyway, I guess the point is that it's the same old blame game if we let it be so. And what if we did? Would the situation be any different if all other generations were satisfied if one were accept the fault for all the worldly woes? Probably not.
Change occurs. We have to work with it and do our best to influence the influencers. Otherwise we'd all still be huddling around a radio for a Saturday night western mostly oblivious to what's happening outside our own neighborhoods.
Hey wait...