It's just nostalgia. Everyone always thinks there was some golden age in times past, but they either forgot or don't realize how much worse life was back then. And I'm not trying to downplay today's struggles, but they were even more horrific before. Part of the problem is that everyone's idea of the old days comes from the media and old peoples' stories, which of course make them look glorious. Every single generation in history has been the worst one ever and the last one, just like how every year is the end of the world.