It's not just young people, that's for sure.
Does CarPlay, etc make it better or worse?
Better. And here's why:
Nav: Having it in the dash, connected to google's far-superior voice command services make it less distracting even then OEM systems. Let alone safer than using google maps on your phone in your lap/precariously placed on your coffee holders.
Messaging: One of the things people struggle to get past these days is the bombardment of messages coming in via text, and via facebook messenger. Even professional interactions happen more in those mediums than they ever did before. AA and AC read those out and allow you to voice dictate response. Is it better than not doing any of it at all? No. But it is far, far better than trying to thumb a message in your lap while driving.
I'm a big advocate for those systems, mostly because they strike a balance between pragmatism and safety.
I also fully accept that the best possible thing to do in a car is DRIVE and nothing else. But 95 percent of our fellow road users feel different. And that sucks.