I've only been around since the 90's, so it's hard to say much with certainty. But the work ethic today seems to have gone down, at least from what I've seen of the past. People seem to have less consideration for others. On the other hand, things like, say, treatment for mental illness was much different, and pretty cruel, in the past. In the past there were people who weren't treated equally under the law, as they should have been. 20 years ago, people in the United States weren't very aware at all of the sex trade, which is the largest form of slavery existing in the world today.
A common argument, or just something that is pointed out, is that today the internet and things like it has made it super easy to view porn and stuff. It's also made it easier to read the Bible, make it available worldwide. It can be used for good or bad. So, why do people more commonly use it for bad, why does the bad seem to (relatively) overwhelm the good? People's hearts. But I honestly think that if the internet had existed sooner we'd still have more or less the same problem.
If people are in an environment where they have to improve their character, I think many of them will. You simply do what you must, y'know? If something makes it easy for them to do wrong, they'll do that instead.
And bad has always existed, in any century. Sometimes it's just more out in the open than at others.
Just kidding.
Roman Empire .. 