There's a significant difference in all the extra ways we have to distract ourselves from reality now. Back then they had little choice but to see what was going on, but nowadays so many people are burying their heads into gaming, social media, streaming video, etc. that they (often deliberately) aren't even aware of the horrors happening next door. I can't say as I entirely blame them because it's depressing and overwhelming AF - especially when it's your own fellow countrymen behind it all.