This does not surprise me. In the dark ages, before the proliferation of internet usage, the only real source for information was newspapers, and most youth don't read newspapers. The primary sources of information for them were TV and radio and friends, which do not cover current events and news as deeply as newspapers. But with twitter, facebook, and all the other online sources, they can see and feel what is happening to real people all around the world. It is almost as if their social circles have expanded beyond their schools and neighborhoods, so now they care much more about what happens to their comrades abroad.
