"These days" means "recently". But "recently" is used to talk about things that have happened over the last few weeks or months. "These days" is a longer time period, usually from the last 6 months to the last 20-30 years. You use "these days" to talk about major changes in your life or in society.

I don't watch much TV these days.

Kids these days don't even remember what life was like before mobile phones and the Internet.

It's getting harder and harder to earn a living as a photographer these days.