PTP-
I did force him to get up and bowl. I wouldn't let him quit, wouldn't listen to his crying. I think you may have this idea that I yell at him like some drill sergeant. Forcing to me is "I won't let you quit on yourself, so when you stop crying we'll try again."

My parents very much "forced" me to learn. I was required to participate in one athletic activity outside of school (activity of my choice) and practice one musical instrument (instrument of my choice.) My great-grandmother was a cotton-picker in Mississippi and got married at 13. My grandparents were mill workers and prison guards and both of my parents essentially raised their siblings. This wasn't in any way their choice. My mother and her sister are not close now, because she had to be the bad guy growing up. My father moved out at 16 and went to college early, got drafted and went to the military- another thing that he didn't choose to do and certainly didn't inspire lifelong learning.

I believe this is more of a cultural shift than a generational shift. Countries that are outpacing us in science and math have longer school days and years, compulsory tutoring, intense lessons and focus on education. Sadly, I think our cultural shift has gone in a direction that leads to entitlement, lack of sense of responsibility, blaming others for lack of success and an overall sense of on-demand information.

I think you may have missed that my son actually enjoys his gymnastics class except for when it's difficult. He is happy in class, wants to go and never complains about getting in the car. It is only the moments when it gets difficult that he wants to quit.

As for detox- an unrealistic request in my family. My father is a web designer and computer server manager. My brother is a coder and video game designer. My husband is a hard core gamer who also lives with his iPhone everywhere he goes and is on call 24/7 for work. I grew up assembling and disassembling computers for money, we had internet in my home in 1990. We are a serious tech family.