Is the world really getting better?

To answer this question, first consider this: Why is it that the powers of evil seem so much more apparent than those of good? The answer requires us to study the nature of good and evil.

Goodness is true. It's real. It's an absolute existence. Evil is false. It's a fake reality. Like the villain in a story, it only exists in order to be pushed aside.

The good deeds we do penetrate the very core of the universe, and from there they seep through an permeate everything the universe contains. As we speak, our world is being transformed - from the inside-out. It won't be long before this good appears even at the surface, ushering in the era of Moshiach.

Evil, however, is a superficial existence. It doesn't saturate anything but merely floats to the top, waiting to be wiped away. A glance at the newspapers might indeed reveal more evil than good. But that's because it is a surface level inspection.

Take not a photo, but an X-ray of our world and you'll discover something remarkable: Moshiach is only a few Mitzvot away.

(I would also suggest that you read this answer by Rabbi Yanki Tauber and this one by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, where they answer this very same question in their unique styles.)