The difference is that affordable and even non-music-dedicated gear offers much closer to quality audio reproduction than it did in past generations.
Phones and bluetooth speakers sound pretty good!
So the younger generation doesn’t have to do the same things we did in order to get to pleasing sound, and that means there isn’t as much incentive to jump to music dedicated gear.
Doesn’t mean people don’t enjoy good music or good sound. It’s just easier now than putting together these huge boxes like we had to do, and still do. Not saying the boxes aren’t another jump in quality!