Do you think society has progressed and is better than it was 60 years ago?

[Dylan]

I think we peaked around 2004-2009, but we've been in a steady decline since.

[Mother Hubbard]

No- only technology.

[Meredith]

I guess so. Id hate to think otherwise. With me being an optimist and all.

[K]

Nope. We've progressed so far we're actually taking steps backwards.

[Sean]

Yes. i mean now pretty much everyone can have the same opportunities and rights in this country whereas 60 years ago, the circumstances of your birth (parents, color, class) dominated your likeliness for success. It still does but to a lesser extent

[Peter]

Yes. For example, in 1961, JFK started bombing South Vietnam. by 1965 he had destroyed the country. The US had won the war by then and could have pulled out. The major war aim was accomplished. That was, South Vietnam was not going to be a model for a third world country trying to gain its independence and not paying a heavy price.

Now here's where progress comes in. Although the war dragged on beyond 1965, you couldn't get 4 people in a room together to protest the destruction of another country until about 1966. Compare that with the Iraq war in 2003. There were huge protests before that war started. Although we still have a long way to go, it's good to see that we're making progress.

[BLAKE]

I think it depends how you define better.

I think as a species we are built to live as a village. Supporting our neighbours, caring about those around us, treating everyone as an extended family.

We are becoming more and more isolated where kids these days think that meeting up with their friends means a muliplayer game online or a chat room.

Depression, ADD, ADHD and host of mental illnesses are soaring because we are not living as a community and people are becoming more and more isolated,

Sure our life expectancy is much better but our quality of life, our happiness, our relationships with each other are declining.

Don't get me wrong I love my gadgets and I am an early adopter of technology but I just don't think we are built to live and thrive in 50 storey highrises on top of each other and pretend the people living 20 feet away do not exist.

i think much of our underlying stress as humans comes from this. I think much of the violence in our society is due to this. People have taken to solving disputes with their fists and guns because they are under so such stress due to their living conditions that they lash out in unpredictable ways.

People think owning "stuff" is the answer to happiness when its actually having meaningful relationships with others that makes you happiest.

[Agent 99]

Not really, I don't think we're more tolerant I just think we're more politically correct about it. The Civil Rights Movement was good and some technology like microwaves; I won't say computers because social media is making many of us into narcissistic idiots for the most part. More people are in poverty now than have been in decades, just look at the number of people on welfare and food stamps. Our foreign policies are a joke. Personal responsibility and accountability are waning, no one tries to account for their own actions they blame others. Things like reality t.v. reward people lots of money for acting like complete morons. We're more divided than ever, basically it all went downhill after John F. Kennedy was killed.

[Kuku Kajoob ♫]

Having been alive for a long long time. Heavens no. This is such a mess today.
The electronics are better. People arent more tolerant. If you go down the list in
this category--you'll find very polarized people intolerant of others views.
Entertainment has been so much better in the past. The glory days of Hollywood are over
Music in the 60's -70's was far superior than today.
People had real talent. Wrote their own songs --no voice modulators..
No need for a stage of dancers to detract from their singing ability
Living Standards are better mainly because everyone back then...lived within their means.
There were no credit cards back then.
This country mostly looks rich..because its all on a "charge card." will pay later system.
Thats why things like the housing bubble happened. People have things they cant afford.
Why the country is 16 trillion in debt.
Its all kind of an illusion of prosperity. Most of the prosperty in "on loan"
The media.. ha. Media and TV is a great brainwashing machine
If we didnt have the internet for an alternate viewpoint-- we would be in total darkness.
Not to mention you have a bunch of zombies walking around looking at their phones.
The public is addicted to "screens" of many types. They dont interact with people that are in
the same room

[Ryan]

Yes