I’m not sure you’re correct re the generations. I already said, the youth were mocked and belittled in Plato’s time! In my day, growing up in the 70s and 80s, we were ridiculed and there was of course some truth to the comments back then! We WERE all on drugs! My parents’ generation with The Beach Boys and the goofing off (in America)?? The music, the styles? It seems there never will be a new generation of youth who is wiser and more hardworking than their parents’ generation.
Even in your day, you probably weighed how much commitment to [whatever, army, wife, boss, etc] you would need to display to get [your dream of a good life]. And made your choices. That is probably constant through time; Kids today (did I actually just say that? Yikes) don’t always see their parents’ commitment to their job, their farm, their wife, as a good thing or something that worked out for that parent. They have to make their mistakes and good choices based on what they see.
Well, we will see in just a short decade or so from now.
Until then, get off my lawn!