#poor English
Well, first you would have to define "better".
Is a man/woman who was happy living in the rain forrest better off, after
they have been introduced to polluting technology, and have burned off the
trees, to try to make money to by gadgets, by farming the poor soil?
At the same time, is a child who was saved by modern technology and
medicines better off, than if it had been left in its "unspoiled" jungle
environment, and died a slow miserable death?
Neither lifestyle is perfect, and both have their costs.