Maybe it's just because I'm getting older, but I do see less resilience in college students today versus the start of my career.
You know it’s bad when public health officials are like: “hmm, the kids aren’t having sex, drinking, doing drugs (except vaping), or commuting vandelism/violence - but their mental health has cratered and they just sit at home playing fortnight or watching cat videos.
Seriously, public health officials think that the kids are literally too good, too prude, and too tuned out. Maybe they’re right…
Well most of those things are expensive. Bedrotting to cat videos is free. Smoking has always been an issue.
Maybe replacing malls and diners with social media and fortnite isn't the best thing we could be doing.
I don't have data on it, but there does feel like there's been a cultural shift to seeking exemption from the expectation that one contributes to society to the extent that one is able.
I think what the strivers have noticed is that there's an inherent dignity that accompanies contributing what you can. People have compassion for people who are making efforts despite their challenges.
But if there's a cultural shift away from expecting an attempt to contribute, people who would otherwise want to get the message that it's not worth it to provide them the support they would need. People would rather just subsidize their lives entirely than take on the more complicated task of helping them work, even when the work does end up net-positive after the help.
"It's harder now, so I shouldn't try" is a complete non sequitur.
If it's harder now, we have to work harder, not less hard.
The only way I can come up with to try to bring rationality into your framing requires adding some other premise, like, "and I don't want the things previous generations had," but that's a giant change to the way you framed it.