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Cold houses. Tasteless food. Human waste thrown out of windows into the street. The Black DeathA bacterial infection that killed as much as 60% of the population of Europe and 33% of the Middle Eastern population. making everyone afraid of coughs and illnesses.

This is what most people imagine when they think about the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500.. But now, some people on social media say they think life was better in the past.

Some claim that medieval peasantsA historical term often used to describe poorer people who worked in farming. worked only about 150 days of every year. Today, Britons work for about 260 days every year. One survey even found that British people think about leaving their job 16 times per year.

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Some say that modern life has become too modern. They think we are too overworked and too online.

In the past, they say, farming life met people's needs and made them happy. Work was not all about making money.

But others say that they are forgetting the bad parts of the past. The Black Death wiped out one third of the people in Europe. Some people had very hard lives. Fewer people had the chance to go to school, travel the world or meet interesting people.

Yes! They ate natural foods, spent more time in the fresh air and knew all of their neighbours. To the modern person, that sounds like a good life!

No! Imagine the world without the internet, medicines that work and modern-day foods. Also, lots of people could not read or write then. Today is clearly better!