>Everyone getting handheld is also a BIG reason America is the way it is atm
Agree. I'm not living in the US now. Difference I've experienced wrt Americans compared to other advanced countries is that Americans were comfortable with different opinions, or, shall we say, could deal with them more pragmatically. It also led to the ability, for Americans, to figure out they were on a wrong tack and make adjustments, accordingly. IOW, admit they were wrong.
Groupthink countries don't do opinions not conforming to what the TV says very well. The polished veneer comes off fast, when pressed, and any attempt to try to maintain the polish while reacting to foreign ideas can get really contorted and ugly.
Americans used to do different opinions/ideas better. I remember talking to a US CEO, or similar, of a European company who told me how much he missed US type brainstorming. Throw something out there and be ready to be called a genius or an asshole type stuff. Everyone beats the shit out of everyone idea-wise, then when the consensus arrives, everyone shake hands, tells jokes, and they go out for beers.