Today's youth are hopeless.?

I'm not sure about the second half of your question, but when I was between the ages of 17 and 28, I spent much time pondering the existence of life and what purpose I have on this planet. I feel I turned out just fine, so I don't think there is anything wrong with our youth. I'm still pretty young, though (31). Plus questions like these are part of "growing up". How about their guidance, or the surroundings they live in, or what material these children are exposed to? Our children are more victims of society than anything else, but who will protect them if the American culture is made up of non-nuclear families? And things like Yahoo Answers weren't around 10-20 years ago, but I'm sure there were plenty of youths out there pondering the same questions then. We just didn't know any difference. Obviously, most of these people will find the answers on their own, just like the rest of us. Plus it's easier to ask a complete stranger for advise than to ask your mom or dad, or even your best friend, or they may just be looking for a second opinion.