It's called nostalgia. You're too young to have really experienced it.
As for a perfect time period, it doesn't exist. In fairly recent history, I'd be tempted to say the 1950s where good because (speaking for western society as a whole) family units were much stronger, people lived within their means, there was no such thing as a credit card, about the only consumer debt was house mortgages (and a "starter" home was 1100 sq ft, not 3000) people where much more self sufficient, took on more personal responsibilty. On the other hand there where terrible issues with racism, sexism and homophobia and bigotry, people still did bad things it was just kept in the dark more.
In today's society we have made vast improvements with issues like racism, sexism, homophobia and bigotry in general, yet at the same time we have families falling apart, far to many people who don't know the meaning of "self sufficiency" or "personal responsibility", rampant sovereign and consumer debt and American society specifically has turned into a materialistic orgy.
ok i was gunna respond to this thread when i had more time and wasnt tired, and now that i have the time and im wide awake i find that the best and to the OP's inquiry has already been written. there is nothing of value i could add to this post so i will not try to, ill just quote it to show my support of it. good post saggs
