Has k-pop "changed" now or are we just nostalgic ? (newer fans can also answer this !)

I started listening to k-pop almost 10 years ago now, so right when 3rd gen was thriving and when 2nd gen groups were starting to vanish. I was in middle school at the moment, it was the only genre I would listen to and I have to admit I was a bit cringe BUT as of today, I still listen to a bit of k-pop (usually my favorite artists I've been listening to for almost 10 years,  but I have some more recent groups in my playlist as well !) + other genres :p I don't really keep up with the news, variety shows, etc. tho I just listen to the music.

Anyways ! I've seen people having strong opinions about the 5th gen, saying everything sounds boring, that the concepts aren't as fun as they used to be... and I admit I kinda agree. It's not that the music is necessarily bad, but whether it's the music, the concepts, the looks... I feel like you can point out a lot of similarities between the 5th gen groups and that some songs seem interchangeable between them. And even though there are groups doing more original concepts, they usually aren't that popular and remain a minority. K-pop has grown sm the past years, appealing more and more to the american market (+ HYBE buying everything...) so that could explain this.

At the same time, I wonder if the harsh criticism about the music is just a product of nostalgia. Sometimes I'm like "yeah I feel like I heard this song a thousand times it's nothing special" but sometimes I think "maybe I'm acting like a boomer". Like, in the 2010s, did people think this way about the active groups at that time ? Or the 5th gen really is way too mainstream ? Or maybe I'm just not the target audience anymore !

Also, another thing that makes me stay distant from k-pop : I wish this industry would STOP debuting minors. Of course, k-pop always made minors debut, I just didn't realize how bad it was back then because they used to be the same age as I was (or slightly older). It has always been bad. And not only this is super dangerous for those kids - especially knowing how abusive agencies can be and how weird fans can be - but it's also so sexist making women believe they're not as worthy once they turn 30. As I'm writing this, I thought I would only make this topic about the criticism on 5th gen's music itself, but I feel like it's also important to take those more important issues into account when talking about k-pop. When we talk about the music, we don't bash the artists - mostly VERY young people - performing it, but the industry exploiting them. I will never tolerate bullying on any idol.

So, for the older k-pop stans : is it really about the 5th gen or did we just become more aware of the problems surrounding the industry ? And for newer fans (who listen to some 5th gen artists) what do you think about all this ? And what do you think about older k-pop songs and stuff ? :p Any opinion is appreciated !

English isn't my first language and it's quite a tough subject to talk about so I hope I expressed myself well enough and that it won't create any misunderstanding !