My daughter, we recently found out, experimented with drugs in high school for a short time. Thankfully she discontinued this, although she does go out with friends to bars and has one or two drinks. I have tried to teach them that to achieve any success in this lifetime they need to be in control of themselves and work hard. These concepts appear to be archaic in their generation. Many parents today have not taken the time to talk to their children about rules and respect.
Ethical behavior is developed only when one learns how to respect other people and their property.
This bombardment can't be good for society or moral development. So, on the other hand, I am not convinced that teens are more or less immoral today than they ever were. The one thing I do feel confident saying is that kids and teens are influenced by what they see their parents do morally and immorally. Clearly, I also believe that Judaism can and should help guide moral decision making for modern adults, teens and kids living in a modern world. For more on that and other aspects of Judaism, I hope you will continue visiting this column.