I think in part it is because there is a wide range of media channels, kids can opt to switch to the crazy channels if they get bored. When I grew up we had three TV channels, so I watched The World at War, Tenko, The Secret War, Escape from Colditz, Pathfinders. As a teenager the documents about Ultra and Bletchley Park were released. That got me into reading up about various things, Like the Scourge of the Swastika and the Knights of Bushido. I also watched other documentaries such as the Cousteau documentaries, Horizon, Tomorrows World, all sorts of things that shaped me into who I am now. I do feel that kids (a generalization) now are becoming shallow, not following some sort of drive to improve themselves.