How much interaction with the kids are you two really having? I typically teach about 200 young adults each week and see none of what you are saying.Sure they have cell phones and social networks, but they also have access to information and know a lot. The notion that kids don't know history or how to reason or discuss ethics is silly. They can even talk about these things in a second language and sometimes to a shockingly impressive degree. There are no tantrums, inability to reason, none of that. These are young adults and they are just fine. Now the job market they will go into is not fine, but that's not their fault!