Oh it is not just you; me as well.
I certainly do not feel safer than I felt 10 years ago. Much earlier than 10 years ago, in the 60s perhaps, people used to say that the future is bright. I've seen this in old movies and documentaries. Well, the only bright thing about this future is the blinding electricity. Values are at an all time low, development, as you have insinuated, is only for a select few. There is indeed a decline and many blame it on technology. That's a reach, or not. It's really all interconnected. I think of a perfect example of failure to learn from past mistakes. The first law and development movement which saw a decline, especially after a critique by David Trubek and Marc Galanter, nicknamed "Scholars" and forty years later, the criticisms were still being ignored. There's some improvement now, but only with fragmentations in the subject area. The core problems pointed out, including selective benefits for the so-called helpers and non-contextual approaches, are still glaring.
While "normal" people kill each other over which imaginary lord they pray to, or who someone is loving, or which fucking toilet sign is appropriate - the greedy get more of what they want. The entire system is fed on turning people against each other, whilst still wanting to be part of a group, a community - to belong.
This paragraph right here, especially the first statement which I know you know is the Nigerian reality, sums it up in my opinion. Greed is really a significant bane of harmonious human existence.
As optimistic as I am, for at least my own locality - Nigeria, the end is not in sight and solutions seem impossible to reach or implement.
In finality, I actually think the ability of people to actually think for themselves these days, allowing for rapid and widespread indoctrination, is a major contributor to, and difference, between yesterday and today.
Wow!