[irulee]

No matter what happens, society will always be the same, never better, never worse.

But on the other hand, I, because of my beliefs, feel society is getting worse. It's just things like ideals, behavior, basically moral values, that have gone down hill. Personally, I partially blame the media for this generation's bad character traits/habits. And another thing I blame, and I don't want to insult anyone by saying this, are (some) parents. There are a lot more people these days that don't raise their kid/s right. Then there's the whole issue with technology, I mean, yeah, it's great that are lives are a little more cozy, but what about our health. We've (some not at) become lazier, which leads to obesity and etc. Less responsible with our objects and ourselves. More ignorant, despite our greater access to knowledge, and much more. I'll just stop here.

This is basically how I perceive the world right now based on my knowledge, experience, observation and such. Because my perception is obviously different, there's no garantee that my, or anyone else's point-of-view is correct. With that said (well, typed), I think it's safe to say that society is not changing, just its situations. But depending on peoples' ideals, some make the world better, and some make it worse.

[aef8234]

Society? It's the same, it's the mass perception of people after all. Or the mass perception of loud people.
Everything else?... Debatable.

[OldSchool]

I'd say our golden age was the 1950s and early 1960s.

[Dark Red]

There are always good and bad things emerging in society. Our society never really changes in "Good/bad" for when society has one good thing affecting it, there will soon be a bad thing. It seems to mostly follow that pattern.

[SkyRunner]

In terms of acceptance and tolerance, I think it is improving. As far as intelligence and independent thinking, it is going down-hill.

[Grau the Great]

Single-celled animals will take advantage of each other if they have the chance.

Chimpanzees will take advantage of each other if they have the chance.

Most people will take advantage of each other if they have the chance.

Seeing a pattern? Most people have always been walking, breathing garbage, and society has never been in a 'golden age'. It's only the perception and how the media presents it that's changed.

Now is no different than any time before, so that's no excuse to be nostalgic or say "if only...".

[You Sir Name]

I'd say our golden age was the 1950s and early 1960s.

unless you're a person of colour, woman, child...

[Obsidean]

unless you're a person of colour, woman, child...

Let's not forget homosexuals.

[Kormoran]

I'd say our golden age was the 1950s and early 1960s.

unless you're a person of colour, woman, child...

Let's not forget homosexuals.

In some cases life hasn't really improved all that much. They got a different flavour of shit.
Was being a child in the 1950's and 60's that bad? I suppose corporal punishment was still practiced, but I don't know to what extent.

Also, you forgot communists.

Still, the 50's and early 60's had some desirable traits, though; strong focus of science and engineering, people were a bit more decent, and they still wore hats.
In the 1950's, people dressed up for air travel. Now, people wear baggy old jeans on their cheapo RyanAir flights. And people raised their children properly, to be respectful and decent. Now, you've got some 12 year old fuckface sitting behind you kicking the back of your seat, while his/her parents smile sheepishly. Tell him/her to stop it, and they'll be offended and tell some sobstory to the Guardian about how somebody visciously criticized their wonderful offspring.

People don't give a shit anymore. That's the biggest problem, IMO.

[Cosmicsense]

I continue to hear of social decline in our world and in particular societies: the breakdown of families, moral values, globalization, you name it.

I'm not nearly as pessimistic.

First of all, there is greater democracy and freedom in the world today than in past centuries. Slavery of an outright nature has diminished. People are also better connected culturally. There are problems with globalization, but societies are starting to deal with the effects of that. There are still social problems and inequalities in the world, there are still problems with modern society, but socially and politically, I think of people being better off.

Wow! You've been heavily indoctrinated. There is no "democracy" that I see. Stating that there's a plutocracy installed in most, if not all countries in the 21st century, is much more on the mark. "Globalization" is a euphemism for the global corporatocracy pushing everything on us mere plebs. Slavery has most certainly not been diminished. There are slave laborers on corporate plantations the world over, including the US. Conditions of some countries make people yearn for a job as a prostitute for wealthy maggots, even underage boys and girls are smuggled in, locked up, else given a pseudo job at freaking hooters or such while blowing the managers and their clientele after hours. Social problems and inequalities are greater now than EVER before in recorded history. We have untolled trillionaires who don't make forbes bogus top 500 lists running shit behind the scenes. The elite of this world are better off, and the average first world citizen is, mostly due to technological advances, in spite of the vast oppression continuously presented in their day-to-day affairs.

Secondly, if there is a God in the world, is he less caring about one century compared to another? Does he just allow problems to get worse? or is he always the same caring God that he was?

Better or worse? Where is the world going?

Does not compute. God is but the personification of the superego. You have been fragmented.