Kids today are smarter than we were (if you define smarter as having a broader and deeper working knowledge of math, science, social sciences, humanities, and the world).
For those that doubt it, I present to you one humble anecdote: JFK's Harvard University application essay. And he was accepted! This... wouldn't work today.
http://archives.wbur.org/hubbub/2011/01/13/jfk-harvard-application/