The world has always been harsh and unforgiving. When did humans create a better world, and how do you quantify that? I think we're still very well off.
I agree. However, there is a strong sentiment with a significant part of the population that "things suck" which leads to a dim view of the world... which is a horrible way to live. I would go so far as to say that it is self-reinforcing and leads people toward apathy toward the world in general.
Alternatively, if people collectively see the world as a place they are responsible for making better, and that it's better for each individual to do so, then the world becomes a better place. This is hard to get to because "better" at scale is really hard to define. People start worrying about things like human-induced climate change, other environmental pollution, social welfare, etc. Even if we can collectively agree on things that are globally "good," sometimes making things better in one arena causes problems in another arena of "global good."
The world has always been harsh and unforgiving. When did humans create a better world, and how do you quantify that? I think we're still very well off.