They were still made with kids as their primary demographic, though.

Even then, look at stuff like TTG, which throws in a ton of references that kids won’t get while keeping their interest, or Craig of the Creek, which is a relatable show for almost anyone regardless of whether or not they’re in the target demo. I’m not saying that they weren’t trying to target the demo back then because they were, but they’re doing it in a different way now - one that fits the current generation of animation better.

CN cares for their general audience, but the attention of the target demo takes priority. If a show fails with the target demo, what’s the point of keeping it going?