Bad things still happened "back then" - we probably just weren't that aware of it when we were kids unless it happened in our neighborhood or to someone we knew.
I still find that most people are polite.
I am undecided yet as to whether our "conveniences" are - in the long run - beneficial to us or not.
I definitely enjoy the convenience of having a washer and dryer for doing the laundry as compared to a wringer washer and clotheslines or drying racks.
The downside - it takes longer to do all the laundry with the washer and dryer (on a good drying day) and all that physical exercise has been eliminated.
Physically - are we in better or worse shape than most people were 50 years ago?