We eat a lot of processed foods which are softer compared to chewing tough meat for example. This is known to affect jaw and palate development (which in turn affects teeth alignment, tongue position, and even breathing). [1] Seems like it could also affect the esophagus.
I had a small hunch that it could also be related to how thoroughly we chew. I've noticed over the years that I chewed less and less while eating and started swallowing most pieces whole. Since a few months ago I started to make an effort to really chew on my food until it's properly minced.
According to the link that seems to be part of the problem.
[1] https://news.stanford.edu/2020/07/21/toll-shrinking-jaws-hum...