There are some attributes of today that I admire and am proud of: more awareness of gratuitous hurt and avoiding it with more empathy, i.e. "political correctness", as in that most people realize that it is meant to make civilization smoother, more awareness of doing our part in improving our planet, or at least not hastening its destruction, more awareness of the value of our pets and the multi-layered costs of disrespecting them and their lives.

There are others, but I guess that what I admire is awareness of impacts.

On the other hand, what I consider alarming in our society is the things that deaden us and our instincts, and of that we have numerous examples.

I have read of Japanese examples of extreme violence in their everyday entertainment: stomach-turning graphics of gore.

I have come to believe that in western culture what we consider entertaining is no better.