1. Stories need to be shorter, with less detail.
Even people who love reading sometimes will tell you - too much detail makes them yawn. There is no reason to spend three pages describing the petal of a flower (yes, I have seen it done - I think I have even done it). We are living amongst those who are used to immediate satisfaction. Fast food, fast television shows, long commercials (to get fast food within), and everything else fast. It doesn't mean there shouldn't be some length or detail, but it needs to be geared toward today's readers. Put out a novel the length of War and Peace, I feel that there are only a few who would take the time to read it.

However, I believe people still do love book series, so if you do truly have a long story, do not be afraid to break it into manageable pieces.

2. Characters should have leisure time.
If you read older books (I read many of them), you will find that much of the book talks about them working. But now, in the books I read, there is quite a bit of leisure time. You actually get to know the character at home, as well as at work. Small detail, maybe, but a detail none-the-less. In a way, you could say that this means that the current readers want to know more about the characters' personal lives.

3. Being more graphic is ok.
For those of us who are action and adventure fans, this is actually really important. It is more acceptable to have more gore. So, I guess this is one place that more detail is ok.