I’m 10 years older than you, Jason, and I feel similarly that my childhood was a simpler time, marked less by fear, hatred, violence, bigotry, etc. It’s impossible to measure things like fear and hatred precisely, of course, but statistics show that violent crime has decreased for 30 years running, and general societal support for gender, racial, and sexual equality has grown. I know, the society is not the individual, but it’s made up of us. I’m wary of nostalgia of this type—it morphs easily into MAGA sentiments—and I suspect that we’re just more aware of fear, hatred, violence, etc. thanks to conventional and social media (e.g. Facebook, Nextdoor) and the way those dark elements drive them.
Take care, brother.