OP your problem is that you started in WoD. Had you started earlier in WoW’s existence, your perspective might be different.
Wow required and encouraged group play until this group of no-talent butchers rose to power and took over WoW. They have since devoted their efforts to undoing everything their predecessors did and replacing it with multi-layered systems, fewer player choices and oversimplified class builds. For the past two expansions and continuing evidently, the devs are in love with rental power. Cross-realm breaking up WoW communities; time-gating and Pathfinder; now they have taken levels away from players (!!!) and are completely out of ideas.
When did this change happen?
WoD.
Pandaria was the last great expac.
I hope Blizzard gives everyone and, especially players like you who came along late in the game, the opportunity to play WoW’s prior expansions. In those days we had much more of a community. Everyone you saw was on your server. Server communities were much tighter in those days. Cross-realms have really done much to destroy that.