Do you think “younger” generations tend to show less respect to their parents/grandparents/in-laws these days than “older” ones did?

A little backstory for the reason I ask..

My in laws are ALL about respect.. they demand it in all situations- from their kids(all adults), me, their grandchildren. Often times not giving the same respect to everyone else that they require for themselves. There was a family argument on Christmas Day which led to a major blow out because my husband and I called them out on some bull crap they were spouting. My mother in law informed me that she would have never challenged her own mother in-law or mother in such a way and whether she was right or wrong, she deserves to be respected as “an elder” and “the matriarch”. She told me that our(my husband and I) place is to sit and say nothing despite our feelings of what they say and do. Anything other than that is disrespectful. After she said that it got me thinking because I hear this a lot from people. It also seems to be a more “old fashioned” way of thinking. I see a lot of people challenge or question their parents or in-laws now more often.

Is it a matter of being a more disrespectful generation? Or is it more about the younger generations just becoming more assertive than the older ones were? Is being assertive with “elder” family members disrespectful itself?

Very curious to hear what others think because she(my mother in-law) could be right possibly and maybe I need to change the way I am with her at times.