I think it is because people seek comfort, and the easy way all the time. This has usually led to a lot of advancements in technology.
As you pointed out, to get comfort in the past, it required advancing technology by building better tools. Now, that is not the case - it is avoiding development in favor of entertainment.
I don't think that's the case now. I don't know if you've heard, but there are a lot of advancements in AI and Robotics. Those can provide better services in a lot of sectors. Programmers are getting better at debugging with AI. The combination of AI and robotics can open up space exploration and terraforming. Blockchain is trying to improve financial security and availability. People are still building better tools, you just got to look beyond the noisy ones.