Poll: What do you think is the cause of today's egocentric society?

Sometimes I'm appalled at how self-centered some people are, and it seems that most people are all wrapped up in their own little world, giving little or no thought to what life is like for others. I'm not accusing everyone of this, it just seems that, as a whole, society places a bit too much emphasis on the importance of ones self, and not enough on empathy and compion for others. What are your thoughts on how this collective mindset originated?