Are kids today really that dumb?

I had a hard time believing in the one kid's motivations, the one was a derelict out for revenge, but the other supposed smart one was even dumber. For one, the entire experiment is entirely illegal and can never be used publicly in any form, it certainly held no remotely scientific purpose. Secondly, there should have been a point where the smart kid should have felt some sort of empathy for the man(Cahn), or is this acceptable to do to other humans in today's millenial sheep herd, all just a bunch of inept, non thinking, morally bankrupt social network consumed husks?

I don't buy the "lonely kid taken under the wing of some "cooler" kid only going along with it so he could hang out with girls and drink beer". The kid was extremely happy to undertake this project, gleeful even.

Too bad Cahn didn't shoot the two little pricks in the end, would've totally been a worthwhile film whereas it was only barely entertaining.