I guess my thinking is thus:
Via mechanization and the advancement of science, our species capacity for depleting the environment outpaced the planet's ability to replenish itself. Coupled with globalization putting all nations, races and creeds in contact with each other, and then accelerating the pace at which communication can be facilitated, has culminated in a state where we face ecological collapse soon, and our capacity for communication with all near and far hasn't raised us above our natural shitty human tendencies. It's in many ways just exacerbated them. On a personal, national and global scale, we have the ability to be shit human beings to each other like never before, and that shittiness reverberates and resonates around the world. Where previously you were not exposed to the sheer unknowable mass of humanity at any time, now you are one statement away on any number of mediums. For every thing out that there people of all nations can identify with, I feel like there are so many others that leave your conscious shocked. We're more aware of the rest of the world around us and on balance I don't think it's made us feel warm and connected and united. Rather crowded, put upon or may be even at risk. The signal to noise ratio is so high now sometimes all you start to crave is silence. We're too connected, too stimulated and we've lost touch with our contemplative minds except when shit has gone pear shaped and it's time to brood. We move too fast and consider too little because that's the speed of life these days.
I don't think we're much worse than humans of the previous thousand years. Everyone has looked at their time and thought it was the worst time. Their time is their only true frame of reference, after all. But as a species we've been changed by our advances, and we have started running down the clock on the planet in a way previous generations did not. We're the most knowledgable and advanced we've ever been, but we have the bitter aftertaste of knowledge in our mouths and I think in some ways it has poisoned us. The 1st world has the ennui of having everything they pretty much need and want except contentment, and are left feeling unfulfilled and unhealthy despite being empowered materially, intellectually and spiritually to be both of those. Meanwhile the 3rd world continues to close the gap and raise its standard of living based on the model presented by the 1st world, helping deliver the knockout punch to the environment and possibly to their own health. We know where we are heading with the environment, overpopulation, geopolitical tensions and nuclear war, but we've become jaded, apathetic and territorial in response to it. We think about the sheer mass of other people out there probably not doing their part to not fuck shit up and it leaves us wondering why we should either. If the world is gonna tank regardless, should I spend my time pissing in the wind or getting in as much entertainment before something happens and everything changes and the dank memes disappear. Or to put it someone else's frame of reference, should I be spending time helping others and sacrificing to find a solution, or protecting what I have now and trying to secure it against the future? (The family, the money, the lifestyle, the legacy, etc...)
I'm starting to think if we want to see dramatic changes, it will take something dramatic to spur them. Something that effects everyone equally so no one can really say they don't understand the problem. Like hitting critical levels on the ozone layer. Globally erratic weather patterns that disrupt food production on a massive scale. The end of readily available energy sources enough to fuel the capacity of nations that they do now. Digital terrorism that disrupts the flow of information that people are now literally addicted to, and that we rely on for our day to day. Nuclear war with far reaching global effects. A cosmic disaster which by its nature changes the way we have to live and gets us to roll back some assumptions about what's acceptable.
Enlightenment doesn't usually come without suffering. If the entire species needs to get enlightened, it's gonna take a lot of suffering.