Although I’m sure it’s a lot more prevalent in younger workers, not showing up isn’t an attribute of just the young. I work with somebody in her sixties who overplays the “I feel too sick to come to work” card. In the first 2 months this year, she missed time from work on 20 days, claiming illness. It was even worse last fall. Amusingly enough, after her supervisor wrote her up for excessive absenteeism, her health improved dramatically. She’s only missed time on 1 day in the last 6 weeks.
There have always been slackers and people who abuse sick days, but they were the exception rather than the rule. I get the strong impression that it’s the rule below a certain age, recent college grads on up to early thirties at least.