Why don't we use awnings anymore (2022)

I think the idea that it was AC or natural light and what not is a bit simplistic. E.g. here in socal its pretty common to see people cover a window entirely in the heat with like newspaper or tin foil and lack AC. Likewise there are a lot of old homes and apartments built in the 1920s that used to have awnings (visible in historical photos often) and no longer do, and they don't have central air either (maybe a couple window units which also block light).

I think the reason is simply that awnings take maintenance and are more costly. They eventually rot out from the sun and fall apart, needing replacement. Replacing an awning is not necessary to rent an apartment or sell a home, so it isn't done. If you had a ratty old one you'd probably just remove it vs replace. And even if you did want to replace that awning today, where do you even get one? They don't sell them at the hardware store like they might have 100 years ago. You'd probably have to order custom sized pieces from some company. Probably a couple grand in the materials and installation right there to do up all the windows. Plastic blinds on the other hand are like $50 at the hardware store and you can install them with a drill in 2 mins.