The narrative common to all preachers is that any and all previous generations were superior to any and all later generations.
Here’s one counter-example: Shulchan Aruch Even Ha’ezer Siman 24 forbids Yichud with males. This clearly shows that the Jews at the time and place the SA was written suffered more from the sin of homosexuality than we do. The Bach is explicit.
(Although the Gra on Yoreh Deah 153:3 seems to disagree.)