I believe two major issues stem from home life differences between then and now:

1) Divorce rates are so much higher than they were fifty years ago. Children of divorce often have more emotional baggage and less stability while more often than not being forced to grow up faster.
2) Fifty years ago, the norm was one parent staying home with their kids. This is no longer the case. So much more of the responsibility of trying to teach kids right and wrong, make sure that they are learning and keeping up, and being there to watch and guide them now falls on others. Teachers, day care workers, and others can simply not create the emotional bonds, build the trust, and spend the time to guide and nurture a child to the extent that a parent can.