It is, but the people in those eras bled and died for the protections that we are starting to eschew rather than strengthen. And people do have less time today than they did in the early 20th century. Smartphones have made sure of that. Maybe it's a moral failing to waste a significant amount of time on them, but do you know many people who don't? It seems more like a reliable exploit than an individual failing to me.
"Things used to be worse" cannot be used to excuse "things will not get better."
