Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you try to use Netflix outside of U.S.? It's pathetic.
I'm french, we have one of the weakest offer in the netflix world. It's still way, way more content I could (sanely) consume in my entire life. I think the problem comes from something else. Regularly I watch movies with friends: they can't appreciate many good movies anymore. They need fast attention catching stuff. Otherwise they get bored, they loose focus (even watch their phone), and it snowballs since they miss…
Have you considered that nothing really changed with how much attention people give to movies? You are only looking at your friend's behavior, and assuming that the story would change if you lived in another decade. You can't rule out that even in the days where movies were only shown in a theater, that maybe 10% of the audience was paying enough attention to truly appreciate the film and not distracted with other thoughts. Being an active and engaged watcher is difficult work, and it can be as hard as analytical reading for many people. Cell phones and the internet also didn't invent trite, low effort, distracting content; that stuff is as old as writing.