There have been a ton of real technological advances since 2008 that is not just on paper. You could have also said the exact same thing in 2000.
* Greatly reduced cost of solar panels and batteries * Things like uber/doordash made taxis / takeout way more efficient * Transitioning to electric vehicles. In 2008 I'd pay $50/week for fuel, now I pay $10/week to travel the same distance in my electric car. Not to mention savings in oil changes/maintenance * mRNA vaccines nonexistent in 2008 * Significant progress towards autonomous vehicles, if that comes to fruition on a large scale it will transform our society