The nostalgic assault on modernity is the most irrational application of thought that exists in societies. Nostalgic dreams corrupt people's minds and allow them to think that life was radically better in the past and seek to reclaim it. Dreamers of the past then make desperate attempts to maintain the past by imposing oppressive forces on all aspects of society and hinder the next generations from living to their full potential and attainting progress for the future. It's a classic case of the grass being greener on the other side, and yet the vast majority of people will still condemn the progression of time because of their attachment to the idea of a golden age sometime in the past.
The first and most obvious logical fallacy of claiming that generations are getting worse is that every single generation that has existed, has claimed that the world is getting worse. Take that back to the beginning of humankind, and where is our race? In caves? People are people. They always will be people, with the same tendencies and motivations. Logically, the next generation is a result of the one prior to it. If the one prior to it was great, it wouldn't have resulted in a bad generation, unless you wish to suggest that there's something inherent in the human experience that drives every new generation to be worse than their parents. You have to step aside and realize that it's circular logic to think about a past generation that degenerates into this generation. There's no solution if that's the thought process you wish to assert.
Expressing the same, nostalgic feelings that the world has become such a nasty place with entrance of the new generation is so prevalent in every modern culture. And there are very basic reasons why so many people feel this way. A lot of it has to do with attachment to a generations religious, moral, and societal dogmas which cloud reasoning, and allows the holder to believe that a world under their generations same ideology would manifest itself into a better place. Clearly, looking at the past's record of morality, with its widespread extreme inequality, it would be very difficult to holistically and honestly approach history such an ideology.
A lot of it has to do with how the human brain processes and stores memories as well. Obviously, people don't think of the past the same way as they do the present or future. The present is full of hundreds of emotions at once, including all of its stresses, responsibilities, and joys and agonizes. Thinking about the past is drastically different. You don't remember all of the sufferings of everyday life, the minor snubs and insults others direct at you, and you don't remember how it felt as whole. Memories are extracted parts of a whole.
You remember small snippets of a day, and mostly you remember the positive over negative. You don't have to, and can't live out a single moment of the present, but that's how remembering the past works. If the present was like that, sure it'd be great! For example, if your car broke down, you wouldn't have to think about where the money is going to come from, how you're going to get to work while its being repaired, and how you're going to drive your children to school. Instead, you just remember the happy memory of how your friendly neighbor helped you out.
People allow their fond memories of the past to get away from them. Instead of thinking of the past as a whole, they think of it just as the wonderful parts they remember, not the truth as a whole. There's nothing wrong with having fond memories and experiencing the joys of remembering and reliving the past. But when people start approaching their problems in the present by reverting to the past for solutions, it becomes harmful and counterproductive. Trying the same solutions that didn't work to sustain the future in the past is dangerous. What didn't work then isn't going to work now, and you must think rationally and holistically about the past, present, and future.
Fear of the future is another driver behind nostalgic dogma. The cravings for happiness and a stable world is why people readily accept the idea that the past was a better place. Discontent and suffering will always exist, and people will always look for structures and ideas that promise a way out of the present. But looking to the past isn't going to get you their. People weren't somehow smarter, nicer, more respectful, more refined, more honest, more beautiful and less dangerous in the past, or whatever else nostalgic boosters claim them to be. These are people who think the 50's where exactly like Leave it to Beaver. It's absurd to even think that the world was a happier and better place in the past.
For anyone claiming that the past world was so much better than it is now, you have to wonder, exactly what period are they talking about? Up to the 1960's, racism and sexism were not only rampantly ideologically supported; they were legally structured and enforced vehemently. Sure, the past was properly pretty great if you were white with a significant income. And it's strange how lightly nostalgic boosters take this fact, like it's something that can easily be discarded from discussion. The only reason they are able to do so, is because of the newer generations. If everyone held the mindset, that so many do, that the world was a better place in the past, progress against racism and sexism would never have been made! It's absolutely puzzling that a non-white or woman can claim without second thoughts that the world was a better place in the past. If you take an honest and holistic look at the past, it is undeniable that the world was a much worse place for everyone except well off white males. And these problems still aren't fixed today. Racism and sexism are still ever present even now, and the people to look towards to help fix these problems are the next generation.
Embracing progress with open arms for a better tomorrow is the best solution humankind has to all of its problems, not nostalgic dogma rooted in irrational dreams.