I think part of the reason is that more and more of our identity is tied to ourselves. In the past, identity was a function of your parents, your birth place, y

I think part of the reason is that more and more of our identity is tied to ourselves. In the past, identity was a function of your parents, your birth place, your nationality, etc. Now this is no longer the case. The advantage is much greater freedom and mobility. The disadvantage is that you have to be more involved in defining your identity.