The post internet generations have the complete opposite problem and it makes them even more close minded, IMO.

Ie. getting completely overloaded with competing information that they can’t possibly parse and they tend to shorthand and just follow their own bubbles and ‘fact checkers’ rather than considering competing viewpoints. They can basically believe their own reality and find huge communities no matter what reality they choose to support them.

Also the news in the 80’s compared to now is almost unrecognisable, it was actually as close to unbiased, reasonable and actual news as you could hope for. As a result, it was pretty bland, and it wouldn’t survive in today’s environment. The “news” and journalism in general that people receive now is mostly split into deliberately partisan teams and clickbaity as fuck to capture target markets.

You know what angle each news organisations are going to take on any big/controversial story before you even read them. Every single time. And the ‘fact checkers’ that people seem to blindly trust are almost as bad. Snopes as an example has a severe partisan bent.

I’d say if anything people are getting far more tied to ideologies and less flexible and capable of nuanced discussion than any time in recent history.

Collaboration and knowledge sharing has improved a lot of things out of sight but it certainly hasn’t made people any more open minded.