Does anyone else feel like kids have gotten significantly worse in the last 5-7 years?

I've been teaching 5th grade for the past 8 years. I don't know if anyone else is feeling this, but over the last 5-7 years, I've noticed a gradual deterioration in behavior, respect, and motivation. I've always had difficult students in the classroom, but it seems like each year there are more and more of them. I'm not a new teacher, and I've seen kids do their own thing before, but it seems like over the last 5-7 years it has really gotten worse.<br><br>I'm a fairly strict teacher and I set high behavioral expectations, but it seems like more kids are opting out and doing their own thing more regularly. I've started keeping track this year, and kids are receiving an average of 2.5 detentions per week. This doesn't include verbal reminders, written warnings, and parent calls. Along with this, I've noticed a decrease in overall motivation. It seems like more kids aren't really caring about academic success, and grades are slipping worse than I've ever seen before.<br><br>My colleagues are also on the same page, and we are all seeing the same thing. I'm not sure if this is a national trend or just something at my school, but I'm wondering if anyone else is seeing the same thing.