Is the generation gap btwn adults&teens an issue? Are teens indiffrent & incompetent, or proactive& misguided?

What are the factors that have created such a large gap between adults and kids? As for teens who are lazy and have no desire in life other than climbing the social ladder; is it their fault that media has brainwashed them, or is it the parents' fault for not guiding their children and developing them intellectually?