Yes, they do. Unless I misinterpreted your comment, connection flights from outside EU to US/Canada don’t require the Schengen visa as passengers don’t leave the “clean” zone.
The trouble with this article is that’s not an “in-depth”. It is not based on scientific rigor, but rather on a certain assumption backed by the boasting of a certain B.J.Fogg.
Moreover, the observed behavior is certainly not something new to our present time.
If anecdotal evidences are of any use, then I can relate my own childhood experience. I was truly obsessed with computers in my teens, and avoided talking to my parents. The only difference is that this happened 25 years ago in post-Soviet Russia.
Younger people (school grads and older) typically have better English than the older ones. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a translator app on your mobile.
Many people here mention the culture as important factor, and suggest using other higher barrier communication means. Funny thing is that as a manager I am trying to push for emails instead of drop by’s in person, as emails at least give me the freedom to choose when to process them in batches (and leave a trace in my memory). And it seems that in my culture (Russia) personal drop by’s have the least barrier, immediately followed by the IMs, while Email has the highest barrier.
I see a dangerously double-edged argument. To base the deriving of society’s expenses per a person on that person’s earnings is odd. Especially if you limit your view to the 99% of population who are either just normal employees, or their dependents, or even welfare receivers of some kind. If I am making 50% more in my 30s than I did in my 20s - do I really cost more? In my 70s I would likely make nothing, except the pension, but my healthcare bills would grow.
So taking your point to extreme - should my “taxes” (on what?) be the highest in my 70s?