I think some of this is due to technology ... kids today think that all they have to do is pull out the ubiquitous cell phone and punch 911, and within mere minutes, helicopers and first responders will be swarming around them to tend to their every need.

While it IS true that cell phones have helped in some rather dramatic rescues (which have for better or worse gotten a lot of print and media attention), the majority of people under about age 30 in the US have been so conditioned by what they see on TV action/adventure shows, that their brains are simply not equipped to handle the cold, hard reality that the outdoors is NOT the same as the backyard.