samwik, I think you're right. The huge growth of electronic information technology, the simultaneous decline in face-to-face human interaction, and the diminished role of 'significant' adults in the lives of many children and adolescents (for the reasons that you gave), must surely result in a shift of influence. The only debatable points that I can see are the degree of the shift and the extent of its effect.

"Time is what prevents everything from happening at once" - John Wheeler