My mom would immediately ask me what I was diagnosed with and how long I had left to live if I sent her that message.

Its also by no means a modern phenomenon or related to technology. I remember learning about the pilgrims and other early American Settlers and how they believed that nature was chaotic and immoral and how they could bring order and Christian values to it by planting farms and settling their families. Medieval zoological texts make similar assertions and generally characterize any animal that is dangerous as immoral and useless and any animal that can be exploited as a gift from God.