So true. I can relate pretty close, doing an internship and seeing these exact traits.

I'm just in this borderland. I'm born in 1978, and I notice lots of people around my age feel very little responsibility about the job they are doing. They try to get by doing minimal effort, and expect to get maximum compensation.

Unfortunately, this actually works in a job market with a major shortage in the work-force. Some of them gets paid more than I do ;)

Great point. Did not consider the competitiveness aspect. There are ~50 students majoring in CS in my graduating class, ~40 class below, <30 below that...

dear god, our field is already challenging enough, though we could use some competition amongst us in corporate! :P

That's because corporations seem to feel less and less responsibility about the employees they hire.

When a company treats you only as good as they have to, you're only going to put in as much effort as it takes to not get fired.