Way I see it, this all started either in very late 90ies or early 00s, when people in the marketing depts realized that it's easier and more lucrative to pander to the problem demographic than to try to correct its course, which is pretty much exactly at the "death of the action hero" phase of pop culture. That's the point at which you started getting whiny annoying emo gits as protagonists in major blockbusters instead of the usual Manly McMan type of action hero that grins and bears throughout - say, Spider Man vs Die Hard type of films.
We also get series that utterly pander to millennials and failed Gen Xers that go "It's fine to be an uncharming annoying geek, in fact it's kinda funny and you totally get the girl without working on yourself in any shape or form" - something that 90es YA soaps tended to avoid if I recall correctly, it was still about overcoming adversity and becoming a better, stronger, more charming version of self vs the "everything goes, embrace your quirks" shit. Yeah you know what, those caustic characters you see on TV that are funny? Ya I can be that way 24/7 and for some reason I kinda have to curb it because, shock of shocks, people find it funny for about 30 minutes a day and not all in one go.
So naturally now we get to the point where people have been pandered to for nearly two decades, and here's your fucking result, everything's supposed to go, all quirks are supposed to be embraced, and if you failed at, I dunno, whatever, be it getting a job or fulfilling one of the most basic biological functions like, I dunno, have sex, fuck making an effort, say it's political, blame others and make up some amazing shit niche belief or fetish to excuse your failure. Failed to date? Why you're a grassexual owlkin! Fuck you, cis-het opressors! Failed to get a job? Fuck you, that's my choice! Pay for me, mom and dad! What's this, a game's trailer is shit? Let's evoke a simple strawman that will shut everyone up! Hooray!