The way we live today and how people used to live some decades ago has been a topic

oI much debate. Whether people were happier, healthier and had better habits in comparison
with how people live nowadays is an issue oI much discussion, especially among diIIerent
generations.
On one hand, there are people who wish they were living in the 80s, 70s, more decades,
centuries or even ages ago. Among these people we can Iind two groups that stand out: old
citizens who miss the way it was beIore, mostly when they were younger, and youngsters who
Iancy living in another time in the past, oIten because they are not satisIied with how things are
in the present. The Iormer usually complain that nowadays there are too many 'modern
problems such as generalized violence, obesity, overwhelming pollution, intense drug
addiction, trivialization oI sex, recent diseases such as stress and depression, etc.; they also
claim that in the past children used to respect their parents, Iamilies would stick to moral values
and people lived more happily. As to the latter, Irom teenagers to middle-aged people, there is
some agreement with the elders in some parts, i.e., they usually Ieel unhappy about some
aspects oI society. Besides, many ones also preIer they had been born and raised long beIore in
the past, so they could have experienced diIIerent stages oI the history, enjoyed the opportunity
oI knowing many idols bands, writers, artists and lived better lives.
On the other hand, the situation may be the opposite: someone who has lived enough to
go through as many changes and diIIerent social, historic and economic contexts in liIe could
assert that the world has actually evolved. A more experienced person might deIend that
progressions and developments in technology, medicine and science, as well as changes in
ideals have indeed contributed to the improvement oI our current welIare. Perhaps it is no
wonder the last generations have the highest rate oI liIe expectancy ever.
Just to start mentioning some modern inventions, nowadays the world Ieatures cable
TV, electric cars, internet, cell phones and several other advances whose abbreviated names are
not very Iamiliar to many people: MP3, MP4, GPS, USB, HTML, and the list goes on. In
addition to technology enhancement, more sophisticated health treatments have been developed;
minor groups oI the society have gained rights and place in it; people are more open-minded
about diversities, even when they do not agree with them. Apparently, we currently have more
means oI enjoying our lives plentiIully than our parents, grandparents and their Iorbearers have
always had. In an article called 'Saudade pra qu?, written Ior a special edition oI Jefa weekly
newsmagazine in June 2004, journalist Serginho Groisman compares the situation oI Brazil in
the Iirst decade oI the 21
st
century to that oI the 70s and observes:

'.there`s nothing better than the Ireedom we have today to Iigure out what`s the
matter with the youth and with society. Today, the young people are more tolerant oI
the diIIerences. Today, there are better tools Ior studying and Ior entertainment. |.|
the country is better. It still needs improvement, but people are more aware oI it. We
no longer have mobilizing songs, but we in Iact don`t need them.
However, we must also take other arguments into account. For instance, according to an
article posted on the website -eifingreview.com.cn on August 5, 2010 entitled 'Is the Past
Better Than the Present?, 'a yearning Ior nostalgia` has appeared in China. The article
reveals that many people in China miss the social climate oI decades ago, and most oI them
would like to get back to the time when they did not have the pressure oI unemployment and job
hunting, when they lived happily. Analyzing their point oI view through the article, we perceive
that not everybody is happy about their present situation, most likely due to individual
circumstances: as more wealthy nations account Ior an increase oI liIe expectancy over the last
years, other poorer countries still have to deal with large amounts oI inIant mortality; the Iormer
need to cope with obesity increasing more and more, the latter must struggle against starvation.
Yet, are these recent problems only part oI the present? Or are they characteristics that have
always been associated with mankind since ages beIore? Perhaps either may Iit as an answer, or
even none.
Regardless this issue oI people being less or more Iortunate, an explanation Ior some
people Iinding the past more attractive than both present and Iuture, even though seeming a
little bit deviant Irom the point so Iar discussed, can be presented: in keeping with what Ph.D. in
Psychology and proIessor oI Psychology and Marketing at the University oI Texas Art
Markman has to say, '.oIten, past events are recalled with rose-tinted glasses that make those
past events seem so much better than anything happening in the present.(The past is -oth -etter
and less intense than the present, published on August 10, 2009 by Art Markman, Ph.D.
www.psychologytoday.com Ulterior Motives). In his article, Markman states that persons
commonly experience Ieelings Irom the past more vehemently than Ieelings Irom the present,
and consequently the past seems to be more intense than the present. Moreover, we might
speculate that some people are somewhat prone to look back Iondly on the past to such an
extent that they would very likely preIer to return in time and live in the past, sometimes Ior not
accepting their present conditions oI liIe, and other times Ior Ieeling an intense longing Ior what
has passed and gone.
Now, taking into consideration the opinions oI common users oI the internet Irom the
website YahooAnswers in a trivial poll conducted online, we shall notice rather contrasting
points oI view about this business oI present vs. past: 17 out oI 34 people who voted Ior the past
having been a better period oI time to live would generally justiIy their preIerence by making
reIerence to 'recent bad things such as disasters provoked by men, increased pollution,
religious and economic conIlicts, wars, increase oI violence and, especially, internet and TV
playing a role as a source oI Iamily union disruption; 3 people went Ior impartiality, mostly
alleging that the past was very good, irreplaceable, but humanity must keep on with liIe; and the
other 40 roughly claimed that despite all possible negative consequences, modern liIe has a lot
more to oIIer than ever beIore, as communication, technology and medicine speed up every
process and join people together.

But one thing may be pointed out as a major concern: generally, is the current
modern liIe any better than the way it used to be some or a long time ago?