Is the world trending in the right direction?

Wake

Active member
Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
37,470
Reaction score
61
Location
Brandon, Fl
Handicap
13
I see people make statements all the time to the effect of they fear for the next generation. Whether it's because of a belief moral decay in civilized countries like the US, the ongoing threat of global warming, the threats of violence from the Middle East. People always insinuate that the world is headed to hell in a hand basket.

Others, such as myself, see a world that is getting better in so many ways. Medical advancements have come so far in the past 10, 20 , 50 and 100 years. Modern technology puts so much knowledge right at our finger tips. Despite recent set backs in race relations, I think people of different backgrounds have a better chance at a happy life in the US than ever before. I love the life I live, and I don't think I would go back to any other time given the opportunity.

So what do you say, is the world getting better or worse?
 
I see people make statements all the time to the effect of they fear for the next generation. Whether it's because of a belief moral decay in civilized countries like the US, the ongoing threat of global warming, the threats of violence from the Middle East. People always insinuate that the world is headed to hell in a hand basket.

Others, such as myself, see a world that is getting better in so many ways. Medical advancements have come so far in the past 10, 20 , 50 and 100 years. Modern technology puts so much knowledge right at our finger tips. Despite recent set backs in race relations, I think people of different backgrounds have a better chance at a happy life in the US than ever before. I love the life I live, and I don't think I would go back to any other time given the opportunity.

So what do you say, is the world getting better or worse?

Im with you wake, the media does an amazing job of focusing on the bad (which some miserable people LOVE) and we rarely hear and see about all of the good that is going on.
 
Trending badly in my opinion. Many of those advances we have had have lead to an overall lazier,entitled and sensitive society. This is just my opinion of course from my day to day interactions from people. I honestly think technology has stunted the way people think and act. It is a powerful tool when used right when used wrong it is also an extremely dangerous one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
In the same boat with Wake and 441 regarding the media. Sad it's one of the reason I tend not to turn on the TV for news clips on a regular basis.

So much focus on the bad and not the good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It's getting better. More and more countries are becoming secular. European countries are doing some amazing things in medical and science advancements.

But fear brings in viewers. It drives page clicks.
 
In the same boat with Wake and 441 regarding the media. Sad it's one of the reason I tend not to turn on the TV for news clips on a regular basis.

So much focus on the bad and not the good.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep, it's the reason I read the news not watch it. I can pick and choose what I click.
 
Funny timing, as I was talking with my dad about something similar to this. He said back in the 1980's, everyone was positive the world was ending. The Cold War, hostage situations, the economy sucked. And when you look back, many generations has some cluster f situations to deal with.

We have lots of benefits today with advances in technology and other areas, but overpopulation and the environment are among two issues that will have to be addressed.

But I agree, I'd rather live now than at any other point in time, even though as a golfer, it'd be great to be in the early 1900's and see Jones, Hogan et al play while having some very great courses open for public play.
 
Completely get your point and see both sides. To be honest, for people our age lots of things are getting better, faster, stronger like medicine and technology as you said. Looking at my little kids I know they won't have the same sheltered childhood that I did. The world is different now, or I'm more cynical, or maybe the world was always the same but we didn't have the ease of information to find all the disturbing things out that we see now. I definitely see both sides.
 
While there are lots if new advances in technology and medicine and there are bright spots I think they are being outweighed by the negatives.

we have a society that promotes inclusion and acceptance but it's only if you agree with their ideas. If someone has a conservative opinion on most subject they are labeled as extremist,terrorists and others. We have a society that is entitled and anyone who is perceived as trying to take them away they are protested against like their are the enemy.

economies around the world including here in the states are in shambles and the future doesn't look good for future generations or those if us still working. Rising debt, endless spending, more entitlements than can be paid for.

previous generations felt it was their duty to leave the world in a better place for their children but now everyone is focused on the me me me and what are you giving me. I hope enough people see what's going on and change it.
 
Times change, people change, technology and the way the people interact with it change. People always think that the next challenge is the worst one ever because time changes even those who were in the moment from the last challenge.

I would rather live in the world as it stands right now, and raise my children in this world, than go back 30 or 50 years to do the same. The difference is primarily how the media has changed, and how much of it there is around the world that we are able to consume (or is forced upon us in every avenue). To borrow a line from Speaker Ryan (who anyone can guess is not my ideological idol), at some point we changed from thinking people have a bad idea to thinking they are bad people because of their idea.
 
technologically, the world is moving at a frenetic, seemingly unsustainable pace. i wish it was more organic because i worry about the long-term effects on economic stability and all this artificial, speculative value.

medically, we are living longer and seem to know more about health than we ever have. i appreciate the trickledown effect this has brought to the quality of life for less privileged nations, but i'm not sure how much it has added to the quality of life for the most advanced societies, or whether it has just led to longer lives.

socially, i think we are in the same place we've always been. we are still humans. in sunday school this week, the teacher pointed out that the issues Jesus discussed in the sermon on the mount are the same issues we deal with today, 2k years later. it might "feel" worse than the past, but i think that's a function of the immediacy of information and the sensationalism across all media as they move further away from an unbiased messenger and toward a source of entertainment.
 
This is all a matter of perspective and perception. Pretty sure that the upper middle class family of four wouldn't have the same views as the family of four in a war torn city that has a new warlord ruler every 3 months... that is of course saying that all four in that family are still alive.
 
Trending badly in my opinion. Many of those advances we have had have lead to an overall lazier,entitled and sensitive society. This is just my opinion of course from my day to day interactions from people. I honestly think technology has stunted the way people think and act. It is a powerful tool when used right when used wrong it is also an extremely dangerous one.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

I agree with a lot of this, people these days seem to have more of a selfish approach to life and think they are entitled to whatever they want and feel like they have been wronged when someone says no

Technology has been both a benefit and a hindrance to society - with the advances in science etc there are a lot of benefits, but in some ways it has reduced the amount of social interaction people have
 
Down hill...hold on.
 
Every generation thinks the next is falling into decay and will have a terrible life. The good news is that quality of life always improves from generation to generation. I like to believe that it will hold true.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Are some things better today than yesterday? You bet they are!

Are some things drastically worse? Yep and only getting worse.

The world as a whole is in a downward trend, especially the USA. Policies of the current and past administrations have put us on a course that may be irreversible. All the advancements in technology will be moot when none of us can afford them.
 
I worry for the world my 12 month old daughter will grow up in!
 
I worry for the world my 12 month old daughter will grow up in!

As you should as a parent. I worry to. What I do not worry about, is teaching my kids to make friends and to be happy. To love and have compassion for every person they meet. Never to let fear stop them. Use fear to foster bravery. Without fear there is no courage. I teach my kids that just because you may fall off a bike and get hurt doesn't mean that you shouldn't learn to ride that bike. Look at all of the positives in the world. Just look at the awesome stuff happening in 2015,

http://thechive.com/2015/06/29/some...-discoveries-of-2015-11-photos/#.yhrtm7p:lSQZ

I mean, we have 3D printers that are able to make able to make prosthetic limbs. How amazing is that! Instead of focusing on the whack jobs trying to bring the world back to the 7th century, lets focus on the people and actions that are embracing the future.
 
The world is no better or worse than it ever has been. The difference is that we have streaming access to the media 24/7.

Every generation has had it's tragedies. WWI, The Great Depression, WWII, Korea, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, The Cold War, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

For every positive, there is a negative, but I chose to focus on the positives and fight for a better place for my kids. If that means I seem cold-hearted sometimes, I'm willing to be labelled that way.
 
The world has always been filled with evil in many different forms. The only difference is that now we have 24/7 access, literally at our FINGERTIPS, to all the evils being performed globally.

The best way to wreck a great day is to watch the news.
 
I think we are far better off today especially in terms of medical and scientific advancement. The big difference is we now live in a digital age where information (facts, rumor and lies) are circulated instantly. I think parents raising children during WWII lived in much greater fear than I do today.
 
I think it is a combination of better in many areas, but worse in others. We are certainly in a better place in regards to medical advancements and things of that nature. I don't like what I see on a day to day bases that consist of apathy, selfishness and cruelty to others. I want to believe that we as a society can and will turn the corner, but it needs to happen soon. I truly get weary of the evil that we are exposed with such regularity these days.
 
I am of the strong opinion that overall the world is improving at a steady clip - medical advances mean we are living longer, science is making breakthroughs and allowing us to store information and develop new technologies faster than at any other time in human history, and a large portion of the world is moving towards equal rights for all people, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.

However, I won't pretend there aren't problems that still need to be overcome. Religious extremism across the world is growing due to mass communication, several countries (including our own) are lagging behind in important social reform, and the income gap in this country and others is only growing. But overall, I agree with some others in here that the media has a tendency to focus on the bad which makes us collectively sometimes feel like everything is terrible and forget about all the good progress that has been made and continues to be made.
 
Values and morality have been in a steady decline for decades. We are slowly killing the earth and will leave our kids the burden. Our food is filled with steroids and sprayed with nasty pesticides. It's all about $.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I honestly don't know. There are definitely some things that are better (technology, medicine, etc.), but with some of those things that are better it has brought about other problems (laziness and entitlement).

I think the media is definitely worse these days as they don't even try to get the full story before reporting on something. They are focused on being first rather than the quality (accuracy) of their work.

I do worry about the future of our world with regards to the work ethic and attitudes (lack of respect for others) I see out of a lot of the younger generation. I think social media is a huge cause of this.
 
Back
Top