Declinism
Declinism is the belief that a society or institution is steadily getting worse. It often comes from comparing a fond memory of the past with the problems of the present.
In everyday life
An older neighbor insists kids today have no manners and things were better in his day, a complaint that people have made about the young for centuries.
Scrolling the news, you tell a friend the world is falling apart and everything was safer and saner when you were a kid, though you have never looked at any long-term data.
Why your mind does this
Imagining the past and the future is hard, so the brain uses the present as a template. Assuming things will stay roughly as they are now is a quick and usually workable guide. Making sense of events after the fact also helps us learn lessons and feel in control.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Projecting ourselves
How to spot it
Ask whether you are comparing the present with the real past or with a fond memory of it.
How to counter it
Look up long-term data on the issue, such as crime or health figures across several decades, before concluding things are worse.