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You can definitely date a nontrivial piece of writing, at least approximately, by the language it employs.

I'd say humanity has gotten better in some ways, but also worse in others.

Can you give an example of a way in which we’ve gotten worse?

Peretend I said something politically incorrect and insert your outrage below this comment. Be sure to use some derogatory adjectives, unrelated to anything previously said, to describe me.

I'm not convinced that's a new phenomenon. Certainly I've seen no evidence that it is and a great deal that it isn't.

That may simply be an artifact of most writing we have from older periods was professional, like magazine articles.

Not personal/casual, like Reddit/HN.

You don't even really need examples of casual writing to discern that this attitude is nothing new. I mean, look at stories from throughout history, from the debates of Roman senators to Salem Witch Trials and back to Chinese oracle bones-- since when have people ever avoided ad hominem attacks, fallacious logic, and overwrought outrage on topics they barely understand?

People used to have duels over arguments.

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