This is my “two penn’orth” - Because women are having fewer children ie one or two generally, the children they do have are being brought up to be very precious (not their fault or doing)
The child centred upbringing has a downside in that some children do not develop resilience, which leaves them at the mercy of what others in their peer group think of them.
Lacking positive contact and interaction with adults in their lives ( parents not there often due to long hours at work for example, geographical distance from other family ) children grow to believe that only those who are their age know or understand them.
So they often don’t trust adults and confide in others kids unwisely revealing their vulnerabilities.
Their behaviour often goes unchallenged by parents wanting to give them a nice childhood ( perhaps to compensate for their own childhood deprivations…?
They possibly know more about their teachers/schools opinion and values than they do of their parents’ because they rarely if ever get to hear them.
They are infantilised for far longer than was the case in the recent past,
They lack confidence because parents are afraid to let them do anything or go anywhere without them either arranging it or ferrying them to and fro.
Public transport, walking alone, crossing busy roads are a mystery for some.
They don’t want to grow up- why would they want to become adults when they can already garner all the benefits of adulthood with none of the responsibilities?
Cue addiction to video games and social media.
They become humourless -because life is so very serious fro age 4 to 19, they must get ahead whatever the cost and above all they must be respected