In my forma job we had a new apprentice who got the job because his mother came in and asked... this was 25+ yrs ago, the lad kept letting us down, not turning up etc... he actually came in one day claiming he was helping a mate with the decorating but he let slip to one of the other apprentices he had been smoking spliffs all day with said mate.. he was formally warned but it happened again with lame excuses, we let him go and 2 weeks later him mum came in crying for us to give him another chance, she was told some uncomfortable truth, turns out she thought he lost his job the day before, she had no clue about the warnings or his little habit.... we said we are looking for intellectual, strong minded individuals who we can trust in a customers house to come across as professional and be able to answer any technical questions posed to them... we said the fact you came in yourself 'his mother' begging for is job only strengthens our decision to let him go.
It has always existed but I will agree now that many kids have a privileged mindset and expect life to give them the opportunities rather than them working hard to get them.