I do not think there is a real quality difference between old mechanical types like me and modern more technologically aware younger people, and I agree that modern planes are generally far better built, more reliable and safer.
There is however a difference in attitude between generations and this showed up in the excellent "21st Century Jet" TV film about designing and making the 777. Air frame and engines were intended not to require testing, but one older engineer spoke up and said that the engine should be test flown on a 767. He was clearly seen as being silly and old-fashioned in his opinion, but eventually he had his way. On first test there was a compressor stall due, basically, to gravity, which had not been considered in the design software. A classic example of E-World and Real World not fully coinciding.