Children seem very aware that they are cute, very different behavior from clips I've recently seen of children from prior decades.
I think it has a lot to do with the way parents today bring them up. In some ways it is very good, but in some ways it isn't. For instance, we as parents today are always telling our kids what a good job they are doing and how great they are. That is a good thing for self-confidence. But on the other hand, I see too often where my kids are getting ribbons and trophies for doing basically nothing - just joining a team or participating in an event. Sometimes I think of it as over-kill.