Hi,
What I would suggest is that print sizes got larger. Personally I mostly print A2, sometimes larger. I would say that the digital workflow we have today may be more demanding than the analogue workflow of yore.
That said, I also find that the lenses of yore keep rather well up with today's print sizes.
Yes, the digital workflow has made it easier and cheaper to print large and so we get a lot of large prints. Oddly enough, it also has led to less small printing. Most people don't generate the steady stream of 4x6 prints they used to get from the drugstore.
In the old days, lenses outperformed the film. Now the sensors are starting to outperform lenses in some cases. But overall, we are blessed with better overall quality.
SOME older lenses have held up well. But on average, lenses have gotten better over the years, especially at the high end and low ends. This is especially true for zooms. The original 24-120mm Nikkor sucked, but the current one is pretty good. On the side, the 3rd gen 80-200mm f/2.8 lacks AF-S (does not focus quite as fast or track as well), but is optically very good compared to the 5th gen 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII.