I think there are several factors involved in this change we seem to be undergoing. Parents, definitely. They seem disengaged…either too busy with basic survival and lacking general parenting skills or too interested in climbing the corporate ladder to bother much with their kids. But there is more, too. I wonder how much stories like these have to do with what we are seeing:

Stanford professor shows how avatars mimic behavior
Can modern technology change our brains?

Interesting to ponder.