Under normal circumstances the side of a vehicle with the most weight wears the fastest. Usually on a left hand drive car it is the left side because of the driver. I find it odd that your right (passenger) pads are wearing faster than the left.
The rubber piece with the tear in it is the caliper piston dust seal. Under normal circumstances it is not exposed to anything that would tear it. It was probably pinched last time the pads were replaced. It is possible that some water or other foreign matter made it in to the piston and is causing problems. I would definitely have it checked out.
BTW... A caliper with a sticking piston will wear out brake pads much faster than a normal caliper. This is because the hydraulic pressure generated by your foot along with the assistance of the brake booster can easily overcome the "stickiness" and sufficiently extend the piston to make the brakes work. The problem occurs when you release the hydraulic pressure and the "springiness" of the piston seal, the caliper and the run out of the disk can't overcome the "stickiness" and the pads continue to rub on the rotor. Think of this as like riding the brakes continuously, but just on one wheel.
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