Then riddle me this: Why is it we work harder, longer, have more health issues and make less money in constant dollars than our moms and dads did?
All the things you mention are improvements on previous technology, yes, but I don't see my life getting any less complicated as each year progresses. Doing math by a pencil and paper is not hard. It also keeps neural pathways strong. Going to a theater is enjoyable. Watching a movie at home on Netflix is convenient, but not as much fun as seeing The Avengers on very large screen with a killer sound system. Cooking popcorn on a stove tastes better, has less sodium and fat than the microwave stuff (not to mention I use organic popcorn, and not ADM's or someone elses Frankencorn), and I can make more for less. And if it takes you ten minutes, you're doing it wrong. Plus I use a bowl I can wash again and again, so it's less material in the waste stream. A bag of microwave popcorn has three different packages you have to trash.
Yes, medical advances are significant; they also create other issues and unintended consequences. One of which being a growing population we've yet to see if we can sustain, which dovetails into your MPG argument; even if cars get better mileage, the increased numbers have done nothing to offset pollution as a whole, and let's not even start with the resources used to feed, clothe and house the world as a whole. I do agree cell phones are a major convenience, and having Google Maps on my phone makes navigating a new city a lot easier. But if I had to use a map or ask for directions, it wouldn't make much difference. And I've yet to see a map which becomes unusable if you can't recharge it.
So while you make very good points, it still doesn't do much to convince me the world is somehow less complicated than it was 53 years ago, when I was born. And yes, I was anesthetized with ether when I had my tonsils out 50 years ago. FYI it being nasty shit, depending on which anesthetic is being used, and what surgery you're having, recovery now can be a bitch, too. And we could also talk about Awareness; we now have the technology to determine if a patient truly is asleep during surgery, yet not every hospital uses a BIS monitor to make sure. We could also talk about replacement joints, and how they're not the great deal everyone thought they were based on manipulation of data and buying off surgeons, but I'm hoping you get the point by now: there are no clear solutions to solving any problem, just a trade-off of risks and benefits. Technology gives and it takes away. If we all live longer, yet destroy the planet in process, what good are those extra fifteen to twenty years? Hence my original statement. I'd rather live by my wits, appreciate the advances we have made, but recognize they come at a price as well.