It's an important question to ask oneself. I think part of the reason you'll never get to a definitive answer is because there are too many factors at play. I'm too lazy to organize everything neatly, but let me list a few of these factors;

A pool of seemingly endless energy (oil) and sexual selection combine to reward high-consumption lifestyles above all. Pollution of environment and body (hormone dysfunction or other biological impairments) Wealth inequality Parental quality/investment shocks from catastrophe Rise of feminism and the pill Internet reliance & porn Disappearance of natural selection weakening the gene pool. Overcomplexification of knowledge and social organization (makes some personality types obsolete or lackadaisical) Persistent stress

Ergo, as I see it, a lot of people just can't cope with this cluster-fuck of unending change and are imploding on themselves.