Too many children today see themselves as the center of the universe and why wouldn’t they? Parents, teachers and everyone around them tells them how great they are, but I have always suspected that in the back of their minds is a nagging suspicion that they are not as great as they have been told.
When they step into the real world and there is no one telling them how great they are, but people who actually expect them to produce and they haven’t a clue how, is the pin that pops that bubble. Which brings us back to your comment that many young people don’t think much of themselves. You are right!
Sometimes, no matter how hard parents try, kids turn out poorly. Parents can’t control everything, and sometimes, for reasons we don’t yet understand, things go wrong despite every attempt to raise a respectful, wise, loving child.
But I think that a great many problems that we have with young people today comes down to poor or ignorant parenting.