@nprofile1q... I agree with you in how tech is presented today. It is an induced fashion where people want to be part of the in crowd.
At the same time, there was been humanistic software designed for exploration, curiosity, and self expression. When the elders talk about better tools, they existed. They still exist, but they are often derided into small niches.
The people who want the tech back are those who experienced those systems, like home computer BASIC, hypercard, smalltalk, early web with minimal javascript, lisp systems, etc.