Indeed, that is the answer. People need something that they can relate to, otherwise they will just shrug and move on. This is why in all sci-fi movies about the far future, that future in many ways always looks suspiciously like today; it is not for the lack of imagination on the part of the author, the goal here is precisely to leave some points of reference and prevent the audience from losing interest. (Hidden advertisement and product placement plays not a small role here as well.)