North Korea decided to reject modernity and they have a higher birth rate than South Korea. At some point, we may be too advanced for our own good.
The only first world nation that seems to be doing okay is Israel. But again, they're fighting for their survival due to external threats.
North Korea's dictatorial regime rejected modernity...not its people.
And, as has been said, collectivism (take China for example) has always been an impediment to technological development because there is no incentive in collectivism (i.e., you don't get to own or share in the ownership of what you create...so why create?).
For example, China invented gun powder, but every advancement of that first invention, from the musket forward, has been developed by non-collectivist cultures (i.e., the West).