You make a big assumption that "the development trajectory" is inexorably linked to modern culture and tech. Granted it has made us soft, comfortable, full of ourselves but as far as the evolution of human beings I don't see any such evolution. People seem far less intelligent as they once were. It is more likely that our worship of tech has turned our lives into the slaves of tech instead of being liberated by it.

I believe that the "Smart Phones" for example are really "Distraction Devices" designed so that we can play with ourselves. Instead of focusing on crimes of powerful corporate interests to keep us from seeing that we no longer live in a democracy and instead are controlled by the Corporate where we are products for profit.

Being "thrown back" is something that will cleanse Earth of the human cancer and humble us to live cooperatively with the planet instead of trashing her as we are doing now.

The Great Simplification could have been instituted on an intelligent scale years ago, but it is too late for that now.