Nobody knew it. We might be on the brink of a fantastic future right now. But, there was an economic crisis, there was a cold war, and there were serious worri

Nobody knew it. We might be on the brink of a fantastic future right now. But, there was an economic crisis, there was a cold war, and there were serious worries about the environment and sustainability (Club of Rome's report). "No future" was the motto. So, my point is: a feeling of doom isn't the difference that could explain the change in attitude/perception. Phones and social media are very viable candidates, though, given the repeatedly shown effect on mental health.