I was thinking about this while opening a compostable wrapper the other day. We've still got a long way to go, but I think the next generation is going to be shocked if they're ever faced with just how much unnecessary plastic we used to have on everything. (Not to mention the generation after!)
Sweet bleeding Mithras, almost everything is SO MUCH BETTER than it was 40 years ago. Air travel I grant you (with the exception of SMOKING ON PLANES). But medical technology? The availability of so many foods? Air pollution? It's just so much better now.