My opinion for what it's worth is all societies do what you are complaining about. Historically most have been far more rigid with barely any introspection.

My understanding is that a lot of people had this attitude when seatbelts were first introduced as being required for vehicles. And I see it now with respect to things like straws and mandatory bicycle helmet laws. It has always come across to me as very, "Old man yells at cloud" talk. Eventually you or your children won't even miss straws and the world will be better off for having banned them. We all play a part in making things better and it's very hard to argue that not being able to use straws is a bar thing.

kinda offtopic, but I really object to lumping seatbelt laws and helmet laws together. mandatory seatbelt use is as much for the safety of people outside the vehicle as those within it. unrestrained human bodies can become dangerous projectiles in an accident.

mandatory helmet laws are dumb nanny stuff. if someone wants to split their skull on a curb, it's their own business. riding a bike/scooter at low speeds is not particularly risky anyway, and such laws add friction to a healthy and environmentally friendly means of transportation.

It seems to me that at least as big a problem in today's world is too much scepticism. Most of the time, the experts are correct. People question the science on climate change, the benefits of vaccination, whether the moon landings happened, whether the Earth is round, all based on the flimsiest of evidence.