Yes. I can see it clear as day since coming back to the game. Very difficult to find regular, normal people who 100% just play for fun and don’t take things so seriously. When I am able to find people like that they seem to quit playing… 
[edit]
Wanted to clarify I’m talking casual/unrated PvP. Maybe group-focused PvE is better? I don’t know since I have no interest in it.
Nah. If you want toxic, do RBGs or play Classic.
While there was always some degree of toxicity in WoW, the thing which probably made it worse (alongside the lack of any sort of enforcement for behaviour, or at least no encouragement of common courtesy) is simply the novelty of the game wearing off.
So right around WotLK when the game peaked.
Before then, you had a LOT more players coming in to try the game for the first time and having a lack of understanding. They were so prevalent that no one really expected people to understand or know the game, and people were more willing to help them along that little bit.
After the game peaked, those new players with eyes full of wonder either left the game or became grumpy and crusty old veterans with a perpetual chip on their shoulder.
So yeah, entropy is a *****.
As I grow older I am reminded constantly of how short the memories of people truly are even among my peers.
It used to be people had healthy outlets to frustration. They would scream a slur or get aggressive proper responses to someone causing them annoyance or frustration. Now? Now everyone bottles everything up while trying to put on a mask that somehow being polite about things makes it better.
I’m honestly baffled by the sheer malice people like that harbor inside them compared to someone using a gamer word now and then and moving on.
While bottling up emotions is almost never a good thing long-term (something I can attest to personally)… but are people actually struggling at finding ways to vent that doesn’t involve using words that get them on the naughty list?
Because I’ve never needed to use them to vent. If anything, it seems to be woefully ineffective at doing anything other than portraying yourself as rude.
But generally speaking, I find the best way to deal with such frustrations is to walk away from the game - any game, really - for a while. When you’re angry and frustrated, that’s when you make more mistakes; more often than not, trying to play through it only compounds the issue.
So take a break and stop playing the game for at least a few minutes to unwind.
Go for a walk, even. Just… step away and do something else, anything else, for a short while.
… whether or not WoW is set-up to allow for that approach is a separate matter.
I don’t use reddit.
You’re not missing anything. That place is on-par with twitter for idiot takes.
To me it’s bad for another reason. I feel like it used to be a place you could have open opinions. These days it’s like a game reddit will act like a marketing page for the company.
I’ve only mutated a few fleshy beings with my presence, probably best to keep your distance. 
The forums seems like it always has to me.
I do think PVE in game has become more toxic. In certain areas. Last night I asked for some recommendations on shaman in trade chat on my original server, because I hadn’t really played mine since BFA, and folks were whispering me advice.
PVP for some reason has been super friendly, and I can’t figure it out. I did a whole bunch of random BGs on my hunter last night, doing Epics for hours, and I didn’t see a single argument. People were talking, joking, calling out where help was needed. At one point, it was someone’s first time in Isle, and we were all explaining the strategy to them instead of saying, “Get gud.” It’s unusual.
All this said. Maybe it’s because I was playing so late at night and the trolls were asleep…
In the immortal words of David Byrne, “Same as it ever was”.
I noticed that too. BG’s have gotten more chilled out. Even calling out people who blow up.
What can I say… im a biased speaker I miss the old days. It bothers me that people want a virtual world that is so sanitized with only passive conflict resolution.
The whole needing to walk away its something I can’t really comprehend. I rather not stifle myself.
It’s the internet. It’s always the internet. As soon as more humans and their terrible brains were able to get online and be anonymous, they proceeded to be awful.
That being said, the fact that there are bunch of folks that can now get paid sponsorships for making hate videos about the game definitely doesn’t help. People love gossip. They love trash talk, especially in a group even if it’s a parasocial one. Makes them feel better about themselves. Same thing in game. Turn off trade chat on every single toon you make if you haven’t. Report the most offensive which may or may not make a difference but at least a thing you can do.
Flag and move on.
Most internet gurus will spout the “it’s always been this way,” and that’s certainly true to some extent.
But for some of these things, numbers matter, percentages matter. Was the community, say, 20% toxic in vanilla? Maybe it’s 30% now? That’s certainly worse, then. We just don’t have these numbers. They don’t exist AFAIK. But you’re sensing something about the numbers, and you’re probably not wrong.
Well, it’s a video game. A lot of us play this to relax and have fun, not to argue and get stressed out.
I don’t find interpersonal conflict stressing… its just a thing that happens like rain or sunshine.
Gaming used to be a genre for the same type of people, just like sports was. Call it a nerd thing if you like, but people were pretty even with their ideals and goals in life.
Over time, companies realized they can make a lot of money so things became commercial and now it attracts all kinds of people. Some that just play an hour, those that want to achieve greatness and others that just want to be there because it´s hip and cool, yes Swifties I am looking at you. 
If you now add the entire left vs. right thing, then you have a breeding ground for conflicts and they always bring the worst out of people.
It’s a global thing. There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty since covid, especially with wars that are happening, and some expected future one’s that will likely happen. Add financial and employment instability, population crisis, insane economic inequality, distrust in governance, bunch of socio-cultural issues, and a general sense of dread and constant targetting of people’s anger and fears to sell content, and there’s just a lot of anger and trauma collectively that does not have a lot of channels to be directed to, so it’s coming out in daily social interactions
Is it because you’re the one causing the conflict? Be honest. Because it seems like you’re itching for a fight or to ridicule someone. Of course, if you’re the giver of insults instead of the receiver, you’re not bothered by the conflict.