I feel sorry for young children nowadays under the care of daycares. As far as I'm concerned, it's a sub-standard way to raise children, and all the eating out I see today, no wonder young families have no money. Between eating out and buying disposable diapers, I'm surprised young families today can even support a roof over their heads.

So true. We ran for blocks around (in all directions) as kids, and no one ever bothered us.

I also remember my friends moms were just as apt to give me a spanking when my friends got a spanking, if we were being bad. The good old days.

when I was a kid, we'd play all day outside and ride our bikes.
no worries about being abducted, we'd talk to strangers. we'd go to the food store and look at all the babies outside. we had no money in our pockets or phones. oh yeah, phones were only a dime call away too.

I remember seldom were we bored. There was always lots to do. Always something going on. We found play and enjoyment in simple things, unlike today where expense needs to be tied to everything.

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?

Historically, I think people today are in the worst shape they've ever been in. Chronic obesity is rampant. I even see it in young people. Terrible.

Microwave ovens - do we eat more because of them? Is our food actually "safe"? Are there unknown cumulative effects from using them or being around them?

I really don't like microwave ovens. I use my as seldom as possible. I wouldn't even have one if I lived alone.
There are a lot of modern things I really like though. I wouldn't really want things a whole lot different. I think every generation says the same thing about the "good old days" :)
One thing I do miss is letter writing. I used to love to and now I just don't do it. So it's my fault really.