Today's society has discovered many different ways of cutting down the necessity of manual work and replacing it with machinery. The effects of this have been 1. considerable increase in production and efficiency, and 2. more leisure time for humanity as a whole. But this is only the beginning. In our world there is a constant wave of newer inventions and modifications that greatly enhance the progression of society in more convenient and efficient means. Wind-up clocks are by now old fashioned.
Pocket calculators take no batteries anymore, they are all solar-powered.
Written communication is done from one end of the world to the other in a matter of seconds through faxes and e-mail. In this respect we may see ourselves superior to the generations before us. We may wonder how only 100 years ago running water and electricity were considered luxuries hardly available to the public. Travel then was chiefly done by horse and buggy. In fact, the mental state of affairs in today's world may be quite severe indeed.