I’m not trying to challenge how you feel, but I’ll note that in my social groups people don’t feel this way, life is good, and they also feel confident that they’re well informed.

So I’m open to the possibility that lot of these types of feeling, in both directions depending on the political era, is more dictated by environment and media consumption choices and their versions of doom and gloom than reality

Feeling well informed is not the same thing as being informed. Just because it's possible to live in the USA and follow some news without knowing how badly the democratic order is being eroded doesn't mean that all is actually well.

Do your friends know about the absolute immunity the Supreme Court invented for the president? Do they know about the illegal deportations that are accelerating? Do they know about the presidential order that aims to deport legal citizens of the USA (the end of birthright citizenship)? Do they know about the gutting of virtually all social programs?

If they don't, then they're ill informed, regardless of their feelings on the matter. If they do and still think all is well, then they are just as much a part of the problem as the ones doing this all.

Plenty of people feel that way when they're in Dubai or Qatar. Lovely place, just don't look at the army of migrant workers with no rights who keep it all running.

It's also possible we're living in the Roaring Twenties. (Checks calendar. Actually kind of appropriate.)