Most people have more than their parents or grandparents. However, that is mostly only true in the physical sense of possesions and material goods. When it comes to happiness, contentness, friendships, connections to land/religion/nature/family/etc I believe we have less.

I'm reminded of John Steinbeck's The Pearl. I'm not sure if you know the novel, it's central theme is that the pursuit of wealth and material gain can corrupt human values and destroy happiness. Through the main character Kino’s discovery of the pearl (a symbol for money and wealth), Steinbeck shows how greed, envy, and ambition slowly replace Kino’s original hopes for a better life. What begins as a symbol of opportunity and security becomes a source of violence, fear, and loss, revealing how material wealth can bring more suffering than fulfillment.

He wrote this in 1947 and basically foresaw what you describe in your post and what others talk about in the comments.

The best things in life are free - family, friends, fresh air, nature, flora and fauna. Beware the marketeers who try to sell you a tomorrow that never comes, whilst one pursues material gains fattening the pockets of the super rich.

Life can be very very simple and meaningful if we allow it to be. Building strong communities again would be a great place to start. Do something nice for somebody this week, just because it's a nice thing to do. If everyone reading this does that, it will be a start and we all know starting anything is the tough part. Or organise an evening at your house where you invite all the neighbours in, even (especially) the ones you don't know. Get everyone to bring a dish or their own drinks. That will help to form some glue in your community again.