Lots of interesting comments here, guys-From my perspective, one way or another I've worked with teenagers for 20 years (teaching and former Scout leader). I have kind of mixed feelings on this. For years I said that American kids were getting better, and not worse as was the conventional wisdom. I felt that because I knew personally (and knew about a lot more) really good, well-adjusted kids with great attitudes, good work ethics, great moral sense, wisdom beyond their years, civic-minded, the whole package. And don't get me wrong, there are still kids like that.
But in the last few years, I don't know...I see lots of narcissism, lots of entitlement issues involving grades, etc. Heck, one of the reasons I retired from Scouting (other than being completely burned out after 9 years) was boys whose mothers thought that it was time for them to "get their Eagle" even though they didn't come to meetings, didn't even like to camp, no skills, etc (so yeah, parents play into this too).
I'll give you a couple of anecdotes: Our graduations have been getting pretty rowdy in recent years-airhorns, entire screaming families, people being escorted out by deputies, etc. This year, for the 1st time, our graduates on the field were worse than the crowd. They were inflating and throwing around beachballs (by the dozens!), ping-pong balls, just going nuts really, and all this during the special music by one of their classmates, and the students' speeches (yes, they're boring, but still). Just totally classless, disgusting, and boorish behavior, really, and in front of a stadium of thousands of community members. The principal had to intervene, but it didn't faze them much. In another news story today, a plane full of kids from New York on a field trip had to stop in Atlanta and kick about 100 kids off the plane because they refused to follow the instructions of the crew to sit down and put away their cell-phones. I can just imagine-probably a total mob scene.
Honestly, I think kids today seem embarrassment proof. They seem to think that they are supposed to document every stupid thing they do on their "smart-phones" for instant fame in their little 24/7 social media universe. 'I-phone' indeed (and I've got one!). Time magazine recently had a great and well-researched article on this entitlement phenomenon.
I wish I had some answers, but I just see this getting worse.