Times have definitely changed.
Back then you had small communities where everyone knew each other, and you'd wait weeks, months maybe, for letters to get to and from people across the world. Now old people have the infinite power of all of the knowledge in the world on a device that fits in their pocket, and they use it to complain that young people complain too much.
Jest aside, I don't think it's ridiculous to expect getting good value and newer technology (especially as tech gets cheaper and more accessible) for your money. If all you had back then was what was available, that's what you got. Now we have more technology, so of course there are going to be people that want convenience. I don't care so much about climate control because I had been driving for over ten years before I owned a car with one (my GTI) and when I got it, I rarely used it. But if you grew up using it, and all of the cars your parents had that you remember use it, that's what you're used to.
Coming from the IT world, I see a lot of older people just complain about how much they hate the computer and technology and how it just makes everything harder, etc.. In that case I just shake my head and try to help them. Those that embrace it love it. Those that don't just make life harder on themselves for no reason.