Parents can't control their kids because half the tools they had available to them have been banned, and every kid nowadays knows the magic words "I'll call the cops on you" which shuts any dispute down flat.

Which is not to say all kids are bad, there are a good number of them who've learned honesty, integrity, honour, and community all on their lonesome, without any guidance from anything other than their own ability for self-identification.

But yeah, it's not gonna happen that way enough, and osmosis is too fickle to cover the slack.

Cynic mode warning.

Society has gotten too big and too unwieldy, community has gone down the drain, honour has gone out the window, both derided as "outmoded" and "outdated".  The sheeple are controlled via FUD by those who have a vested interest (i.e. their self-interest) in keeping people as sheeple.  Social disorder works to their advantage, they're not likely to want to do anything to reduce it - if it goes away, it's harder to stampede the sheeple into the ramp up to the kill sheds of "it's for the best" legislation.

Personally, I figure there's a revolution of sorts coming in the next two decades, as the two "sides" clash - individualists vs conformists.

Got to love the cyclic nature of history and civilization :)

(I've had a Bic go psycho in a front pocket of a pair of cream slacks, that's not much fun ...

But as a card carrying BOFH, pocket protectors are a no-no, I have a rep to live down to :P)