When have things become not big enough?

I've been contemplating a couple of things here lately as I stroll through our neighborhood, ride our bikes in the neighborhood down the road, and as I walk Moey in the neighborhood next to ours--"the big block". I've started to begin to wonder--"when did our generation begin to not get "enough"?
A realization came to me when we lived in Bowling Green, Ohio. We were just starting out as a married couple. We were so fortunate and blessed to be able to rent a real home our first year of marriage. It was such a cool house. We also were awakened to the incredible expense of heating an old 100 year old home!! Our landlords were in Amsterdam Holland, serving on a year long mission and needed to rent out their new home to a couple. They hadn't even lived in the home themselves! It was a decent sized home. It had two living rooms, hardwood floors, incredible woodwork around the doors and windows (windows beautifully big and tall), two bedrooms and a washer and dryer. It also had a nice back and front deck with a good size yard. Just a couple of blocks over though were EXTREMELY big homes.
My first job was doing interior design work for window treatments. I was able to go in many, many homes and help homeowners choose blinds, curtains, and furniture covers. Many homes were so large and expensive and I started to notice a trend. Not only were their homes HUGE, but also their cars, their spouses, their children and their own waistlines. There houses were also filled with an incredible amount of STUFF. It was as if they couldn't get enough things: not enough to own, not enough to buy, and definitely not enough to eat. We would ride our bikes through the neighborhoods and I couldn't help but think: how many people here have a balanced lifestyle in most aspects of their lives? I know we all can't be perfectly balanced in every area, but how many of them are trying to be balanced???
I've noticed this in Englewood as well. Our neighborhood has beautiful, older, homes. Most houses were built in the 1940s. Each of them are UNIQUE (which you can't say that now a days!) They are all roughly 1200-2000 sq ft including the basement.
I sat in the backyard after our run last week and thought about my generation. After my grandmothers auction, I've been feeling differently about items that I collect, and the things that are in my possession. I think I've become more picky about the things that I purchase and spend my money on. I've also been thinking about both sets of grandparents and the way that they lived their lives. Both sets of grandparents built their homes, the size that they are. Which ironically was the size of many homes in that day. When did my generation not think they were big enough?
Matt and I live in a 1200 square foot home, 2000 if you include the basement. We live on a 1/4 acre plot, we have a small living room, 4 small bedrooms, 2 small bathrooms, a small dining room and kitchen. But it's BIG enough for us. Why are my peers not satisfied with a smaller home? Why do they want the biggest and best even if it lands them in debt up to their eyeballs? Sometimes it leaves me sickened when I think about how my generation has deteriorated in quality and the values of what is really important.