I believe the reason technology could spark so much joy for a young mind back a few dozen years back is more that it was much simpler rather than "it just worke

I believe the reason technology could spark so much joy for a young mind back a few dozen years back is more that it was much simpler rather than "it just worked". It was simple and therefore easier to tamper and play with. Also, because it was so simple, more knowledge and understanding of the underlying mechanisms was required to use the technology. In the early years of the internet, simply operating a computer and exploring the web was an adventure in itself! Now, things have gotten plenty complicated and that complexity brings bugs and makes the technology impenetrable to the common folk even with an educated mind - you need to be an expert now. If it's too complex, you can't play with it, and if you can't play with it, you don't learn and you don't have fun. I feel that your conclusion, 'it just worked', is more a consequence of the increase in complexity rather than a root cause in itself.