Basically everything our older generations worked for, with blood, sweat and tears, has brought about this rotten, sticky decadence you have today.  Think about it: the industrial revolution - an absolutely wonderful thing for societies, the discovery of vaccines, penicillin, then post WWII, they busted their asses so they could afford a car, then buy their own house. And with that all the wonderful appliances and conveniences. It was an amazing time to live then. People from the US fought in wars to protect and ensure this kind of lifestyle (i.e. avoiding the threat of communism).  As technology progressed, with the hopes of making our lives more easy, the range of choices in luxury items became larger. Then everyone had a computer, then a cell phone.. fuck, wonderful, then we don't even have to leave our house!  It began to evolve in such a way that people had everything at their fingertips. Everything is carted over to them at the push of a button, a quick phone call, not much more. You can even have a virtual life, you don't need real friends or intimacy, you have Facebook and you apps for conversation. Children realize already it's important to show others the cool things they have, not try to show what a cool person they are and what they can actually do. I see every day how socially inept some younger people have become. People who aren't very smart or ambitious can easily get sucked into this oasis of life because if requires the least amount of work. Instant gratification, no discipline, no struggle or motivation to attain something. They become lonely and isolated, sitting with all of these inanimate things and food and gadgets around them, and don't understand why they are so depressed.