Yes, this is so obviously true, it's easy to miss. When we think of the past, we think of it as a more innocent time. This is because, if we were lucky, it was, for us. We were children then. And if you were a kid growing up in suburbia, (especially), you grew up in a sort of sheltered utopia.
Your needs were few, and they were met. Your desires were simple. Your mom fed you when you were hungry. You spent lots of time playing, daydreaming and wandering the neighborhood.
Now there's lot more to think about and do. Still, things also seem a little crazier today. More people, less resources. More information. Less understanding. But if you are a kid, you still live in the world of kid things and one of those things is a semblance of innocence.